Ash Wednesday

Last year I celebrated Ash Wednesday among a circle of women friends. It was a memorable evening that greatly helped me to understand the true meaning of Lent. One of the women had been through a difficult divorce. After her husband left she found she was unable to enjoy lighting a fire in her fireplace because it reminded her of times that had seemed happier. The fireplace became a symbol to her of the bitterness she felt toward her ex and the pain that weighed heavy on her heart. One February evening she sat staring at the cold fireplace when she felt the presence of God beside her. God was telling her that it was time to let go of the bitterness and move on into the land of joy. She built a big, beautiful fire that evening. She threw into those flames the hurt, the bitterness and the anger that had been weighing her down. The fire consumed those painful emotions and she felt a great release. The next morning she collected the ashes in a plastic bag and saved them. They were ashes of joy. On Ash Wednesday, as we sat around a cheerful fire, she told us that for Lent she had burned up her bitterness. She brought the ashes of joy for us to share. As we put these ashes of joy on one another’s foreheads we were filled with a sense of the joy that comes when God is present among His people.

“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5

Wine

One evening during our snow party at AM’s house we discussed several recent articles that said drinking a glass of wine everyday was good for you. The articles said a daily glass of wine would extend your life by several years. I enjoy living, so anything that might extend my life sounds like a gook idea. I grew up in a house where alcohol was never served. I rarely drink and don’t know anything about wine. I made the comment that I might try drinking a glass of wine, but I didn’t have any of those special glasses and didn’t know what kind of wine to buy. My loving and helpful daughters heard my problem, and they have tried to help their dad and me. This weekend to celebrate dad’s 69^th birthday they gave him a set of wine glasses and six bottles of wine. There are three different varieties of wine glasses. The label says one kind is for burgundy, one for chardonnay, and another for Bordeaux. Then I looked at the wine. AM gave us white merlot, red Beaujolais, pinot noir, white zinfandel, blackberry wine, and one call Frutezia. None of those matches the kinds the glasses suggested. What kind of wine do I pour in which glass? Is there a school for wine drinkers? Maybe I should just drink it straight from the bottle. Do you have any helpful suggestions to make this all less confusing?

February 16

Today is my beloved’s birthday. On his twenty-seventh birthday I gave him the best gift I have ever given him for a birthday. I presented him with a beautiful baby girl, our second daughter. There is a special bond between those two. I don’t know if it is because they share a birthday, but they do form a mutual admiration society. When she was little, AM wanted a green birthday cake. Dad wanted a banana cake. It was easy to spread green icing over a banana cake and keep every one happy. They are still easy to please.

Happy Birthday to two of my reasons for living. I love you both enormously!

Snow Party

We have snow, ice, and no electricity. The house is too cold and too dark for habitation, so we have come to camp out with other friends and relatives at daugther #2's house. She is one of the few in town with power. Having power means she has a full house of refuges from the cold. We are having a lovely visit, but it will be nice to be able to go back to my quiet house.

Sunday Happenings

Yesterday morning after making a few remarks the minister sat back down on the chair he sits on every Sunday. Only yesterday the chair seat gave out from under him. There was a loud crash. His feet were on the floor, his knees were over the frame of the chair, and his behind and the chair cushion were on the floor. His face first registered shock and surprise, then he started smiling and then laughing. He was obviously unhurt, but he looked totally ridiculous. The congregation started laughing. We laughed for several minutes as he sat there in a very awkward position. No one came forward to help him up, we were all laughing too hard. Poor guy. He finally hoisted himself up and very gingerly sat down on another chair. It was a little hard to again find a spirit of worship.

In the afternoon I watched Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” It was a thought-provoking movie. I highly recommend that you watch it. Global warming is a problem that needs to be confronted.

I watched part of the Grammies last night. I was pleased to see the Dixie Chicks win best song of the year for, “Not Ready to Make Nice.” That song touches a chord in all of us. There are times when we are just not quite ready to be nice to people who have mistreated us. Forgiveness is a hard thing to do.

Love Your Enemies

I was looking over the lesson for my Sunday school class (I teach second graders). The memory verse for Sunday is, “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.” This is a hard teaching. I really don’t currently consider anyone my enemy, but I can remember times when I felt very persecuted. Loving my persecutors was difficult.

Are you able to love your enemies? What helps you to be able love people who are mean to you or, worse, people who are mean to your children?

Aging - Some Good, Some Bad

Today is our third grandchild’s sixteenth birthday. S is bright and beautiful and still likes to hang out with her gramma. She, along with our other grandkids, is one of the greatest joys in our life. Grandchildren are, without a doubt, the best part of getting older.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in the dentist’s chair. One of my teeth had broken in two. It didn’t hurt but it did leave a large hole that was most annoying. The dentist said there was no decay, but as we get older cracks appear in the teeth from years of wear and tear. The small cracks eventually cause the teeth to break. I now have a nice new tooth and the knowledge that my teeth are wearing out. I hate knowing that my teeth are getting old. I hope other body parts don’t start falling off any time soon.

The Januaries

My friend J is suffering a bad case of the “Januaries.” You know the symptoms. You feel depressed and bored. The blahs seem to overwhelm you. She finds this malaise overwhelms her every winter. I pointed out to her that it was now February, but she responded that a bad case of the Januaries could last all through February.

Do you have any suggestions for overcoming the Januaries?

Delight

I babysat for my favorite baby today. Rocky is nearly a year old now, and he has just learned to crawl. It was fun to watch him scoot all over and get into things I didn’t even know were there. He found a big paper bag full of bags that just delighted him. He dumped out all the bags and then just chortled as he crumpled the paper and threw them all over the kitchen I didn’t realize a person could have that much fun with a paper bag. Later he discovered the baby in the mirror and spent quite a while talking with the baby who looked just like him. It must have been a funny conversation because there was much laughter. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all find such delight in our everyday life?

Guilty

The case is over. We can all rest easier tonight knowing that two very bad guys are in prison.

The case involved an interstate drug business. I now know a lot more about cocaine and the buying and selling of illegal drugs than I ever wanted to know. It’s a huge business with lots of people involved. The possible profits are huge, but jail is one of chances you take when you decide to traffic in illegal drugs. The evidence against these two defendants was overwhelming. The defense’s case was basically that the government set them up. The defendants were offended that the government used a wiretapped phone to collect evidence against them. The government had no business listening in on their private conversations about the buying and selling of their cocaine. The bad guys tried to convince the jury that they were victims of the government. The jury decided the case very quickly. We were convinced that the victims of the hundreds of kilos of cocaine being sold in the D.C. area were not these two drug dealers. They are two very bad guys who are a part of a large group of very bad guys. I am glad they are off the streets.

Jury Duty

I have been on the jury listening to a criminal case for several days now. It is a very interesting experience. I keep thinking that I’m part of a TV show. Many of the witnesses and other court room people look just like caricatures of the people who would play their part on “Law and Order,” “Judging Amy” or “CSI.” Then I realize that this is real and I am being asked to decide someone’s guilt or innocence. It’s a bit intimidating. Many years have gone into the preparation of this case just to present it all to my fellow jurors and me. This is not a case that has received any press. No one will gain any fame or notoriety. All their work is just for the benefit of the jury.

Every morning two big, strong security guards meets the jury members as we arrive and escorts us into the building through a back door and leads us through back halls to our jury room. In the evening we are escorted out and protected until we leave the parking lot. In fact I am grateful to have them there to protect us. I’m not sure I like feeling a need to be protected. I will be grateful when this is over.

I will tell you about the case after it is concluded. Stay tuned.

A Jury Of Peers

I spent Tuesday in a room full of strangers who are my peers. I am on jury duty and this room full of people was the jury pool. It was an interesting place to people watch. The first person to catch my eye was a middle-aged man in a power suit. He was obviously too busy to be there. He had his leather briefcase open with papers all around him, looking very important. Just down the row from power man was a young black man with a head full of dreadlocks dressed in dirty jeans and sweatshirt. He slept. In the corner there were two blue-haired ladies chatting happily. The lady sitting near me was reading a book called, “Chaos,” with another book called the “Science of Chance” on her lap. She looked like a nerdy college professor. The man next to me was wearing a baseball cap and football jersey. He looked very bored. I offered him my morning paper, which he happily accepted. I was not surprised to see that he picked up the sports section first. Towards the front of the room I noticed a young, pregnant girl. She didn’t look old enough to either be pregnant or to be on a jury. She looked very uncomfortable. The people gathered there were young and old, black and white, male and female, wealthy and poor. But for that day in the jury lounge we were all equal as we waited to be either chosen or rejected.

Winter

Winter has finally come to Maryland. We had our first snow last night, along with cold, ice, and slippery streets. Schools opened two hours late today.

As the snow began falling heavily last night I went to church where our congregation is hosting “Warm Nights.” This is a county run program to increase the number of shelter beds during the winter months. Last night about 20 men and one woman spent the night in our church building. We had set up cots for everyone and provided dinner. Several church folks had cooked meat loaf, mac & cheese, broccoli and applesauce. It was good food, and the folks ate a lot. Several came back for seconds and thirds. Our guests had to be up and out at seven this morning. We served breakfast and gave them a brown bag lunch. They will be back every night this week and then move on next week to another church that take over for a week.

I came home feeling very thankful for the blessing of my warm house. We live in a nice suburban neighborhood. I don’t see the face of poverty very often. But the people who came for shelter last night are here in my neighborhood. They are real people with sad stories. They are just like me.

The Spiral Staircase

I’ve just finished reading, ”The Spiral Staircase,” by Karen Armstrong. This is the very moving story of one woman’s spiritual journey. At the age of seventeen she entered the convent eager to meet God. For Karen this was a brutal, unhappy, life altering experience. This memoir describes her journey through darkness as an ascent up a narrow spiral staircase that eventually leads into a place of light.

She concludes with this thought that is common to all religious traditions.

“The one and only test of a valid religious idea, doctrinal statement, spiritual experience, or devotional practice was that it must lead directly to practical compassion. If your understanding of the divine made you kinder, more empathetic, and impelled you to express this sympathy in concrete acts of loving kindness, this was good theology. But if your notion of God made you unkind, belligerent, cruel, or self-righteous, or if it led you to kill in God’s name, it was bad theology. Compassion was the litmus test.”

Does your faith lead you to acts of compassion?

High Five

I am just finishing Janet Evanovich’s book, “High Five.” It is the fifth is her series about Stephanie Plum, the world’s funniest bounty hunter. These stories have no redeeming value except that they make me laugh. Laughter is a very good thing.

What have you read that makes you laugh?

Martin Luther King Jr

Today is a holiday set aside to honor the work of Martin Luther King Jr. Today I went to an ecumenical service to honor his life and accomplishments and spent some time reading, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” Today the world is better because of the work of King.

I grew up in a white only world. It wasn’t exactly segregated; there really were no people there to my knowledge except people who resembled me. Negroes lived in The South or in Africa. I lived in a small Southern California town. Everyone I knew was white, protestant, and middle class. If there was racism it was far away and not part of my world.

Today my grandchildren live in a very different world. Their world is a diverse place populated by people of different races and different religions. They judge their friends by character, not by race or religion. My grandchildren are aware of racism and believe it to be an ugly, evil thing. My grandchildren are living part of Dr King’s dream. There is still much that is wrong, but I am thankful that we have come this far.

The picture is a drawing I made of my two grandsons enjoying a day at the beach.

Good News

Our newspaper is usually full of reports of war, murders, and political intrigue. This morning there was a story that was different. It was good news of the kind that made me smile through tears of joy. Shawn Hornbeck is home. Shawn is a 15-year-old boy who has been missing for four long years. There are many unanswered questions, but this boy who was lost has been found. He appears well and happy. I can feel his mother’s joy as she holds this son close to her heart. I do not know Shawn or his family, but I am a mother who worries about a long lost son. I can feel the joy. Welcome home, Shawn.

Washington DC

Last night our daughter, AM, treated us to an evening at the Kennedy Center. It was our Christmas gift from her. We saw “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” which is the story of a marriage from hell. You can check out her blog for a review of the play. The best part of the evening was the fact that she wanted to spend an evening with her parents.

We’ve lived in suburban Washington DC for forty-three years. I am still surprised every time we go downtown to realize that we live here so near to this most powerful of cities. The monuments never fail to impress me. On our way to the theater we saw the dome of the Capitol Building and drove right by the White House. We went by the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. We walked along the terrace of the Kennedy Center and admired the National Cathedral and the multitude of lights reflected in the Potomac River. This truly is an impressive city. I love that I am able to visit there and still be impressed by all the history that is reflected here.

Where do you live? What impressive sights are part of your world?

Why

I just came home from my water aerobics class. It really is a fun way for me to get some exercise.

I go to a nearby health club with a few parking spaces near the front door, a small lot next to the building and a large lot just across the small street where it is located. There is plenty of parking in the large lot, but it is a few steps further away. Today people were fighting over the nearby spaces using words that are not on my approved list along with hand gestures that are less than friendly. I don’t get it. These folk are coming to work out on treadmills and stair climbers. They play tennis and swim in order to get exercise. They are paying good money to exercise and yet they can’t walk the few extra steps it takes to cross the street.

Can someone explain why people fight to park close to the gym where they are going to get some exercise?

Noodles

Momofuku Ando died on January 5, 2007. He was 96 years old. I think we should all pause a moment and give thanks to this man and the legacy he gave the world. Without him my children would have gone hungry during their years in dormitories. He keeps children all over the world from hunger. Mr. Ando was the inventor of Ramen Noodles. Can you imagine the world without Ramen Noodles? Thank you Mr. Ando.

Marriage

Recently my blogger friend Greeny said that I should pass on some secrets I’ve learned about a long and happy marriage. I have been thinking about that and decided that I really don’t know any secrets. I could talk about unconditional love, forgiveness and commitment to one another and marriage, but what I have finally decided is that I was just lucky. We were very young and naïve when we married. We were “in love.” We really did not know each other very well and certainly had no idea about how much pain and junk life can throw at you. Marriage has to be a commitment by both partners. If either one decides to quit there really isn’t much the other can do about it.

I was just lucky. I have a husband who puts up with me when I’m not easy to love and somehow lets me know he loves me anyway. In forty-five years we have survived a lot of pain together. We have also experienced life’s greatest joys together. Now we know each other. We are no longer just “in love.” Now we truly are part of one another.

My advice is to pick very carefully and pray that you are lucky.

Resolution Keeping

In order to follow through with my resolutions, today I joined the local health club. My knees have not been behaving as they should and have caused me too much pain to walk for any distance. I am beginning to feel like a slug for lack of exercise. So, starting tomorrow morning I will be participating in water aerobics class three or four times weekly. I am looking forward to this no impact exercise. I think it may be a fun way to become a little more fit.

What are you doing this year to stay fit?

Happy New Year

It is the new year and time for my resolutions. Like everyone else I plan to eat a healthier diet and exercise more. That is my every year resolution, though, so it really doesn’t count. I’ve decided that this year I will resolve to be grateful for each new day and live the life God gives me in joy. I think that is resolution enough for me.

To celebrate this new year we made reservations to spend a week in Yellowstone National Park this summer. Have any of you been there? Is there anything that you think we must do while we are there? We have never been there and are looking forward to going.

President Ford

Yesterday’s headline in the Washington Post said, ”Gerald Ford dies, leaving a legacy of healing.” What a wonderful legacy to leave a nation.

I wonder what the headline will say when George W. Bush dies?

Christmas

The house is quiet. Everyone has gone home. The gifts have been opened. Scraps are all that remain from Christmas dinner. My heart is full of happy memories and I find a smile keeps creeping across my face. This year I received the best Christmas gift a mother can receive. All of my children and grandchildren gathered around our tree. There was laughter and silliness and lots of good conversation. Life is good.

Merry Christmas!
God bless us, everyone.

Long Night

Did you all notice how long last night was? It was the longest night of the year. Actually I just slept through it, it seemed like any other night. I remember three nights that each competes in my memory for the longest night of my life.

Longest night number one was thirteen years ago. My daughter was in labor with her first child. Things seemed to be progressing pretty well and her husband and I were hoping for a birth in a few hours. Then everything just sort of stopped. It was late night. My daughter got drugs and slept very fitfully. The straight-backed chairs in the room were not very comfortable. The floor was hard and cold. My girl labored on and we waited and waited and waited. I went out to the nurses’ station to complain. We got here before all these other women and they have had their babies and gone home. It didn’t seem fair. Finally, after more than 50 hours of labor, my daughter gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

Longest night number two was four years ago. It was about midnight and I was visiting with a girlfriend who was spending the weekend. My husband came walking into the room and said he thought I should call an ambulance because he was having a heart attack. That night we sat in his emergency room cubicle on little stools with wheels. It is very hard to get comfortable on a rolling stool. Eventually it was determined to be “small heart attack.” I came home about 4A.M. knowing he was stable and would probably be fine. He is still fine, but that was a very long night.

Long night number three was two years ago. The beautiful baby born in longest night one was sick. She was very anemic and the doctor said to get her to Children’s Hospital now. The fear of what might be wrong was overwhelming, but we all tried to put on a brave face in front of each other. Her mom and I spent the night in her hospital room. She was receiving blood transfusions and IVs. She had to be prepped for a colonoscopy and drink a jug of obnoxious stuff that made her gag. Finally an NG tube had to be inserted so that she could be properly prepped by morning. We were all scared and very tired. Daylight was a welcome sight. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Medicine has brought all her symptoms under control. She is healthy and happy. It was a very long night.

What was your longest night?

A Senior Ctizen Prepares for Christmas

My tree is decorated, and the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. I nibble on fruitcake while I bake cookies. A holiday special is on in the background, a program of lovely Christmas music as seen on public TV. My husband is sleeping in his chair. It is peaceful. All is calm as we wait for the big day to arrive with a house full of family and friends coming for Christmas.

One of the perks of retirement is the gift of time to prepare without the rush and stress of previous years. I listen to my children and friends as they try to squeeze working, family and all the preparations into too short, too busy days. I remember late night shopping trips and later night wrapping and hiding sprees. It was a lot of work. Although I miss the days of having a house full of small children and working full time, I find memories are much less work and can be selected to suit my mood.

All of you remember to breathe. The children will grow up too quickly. Make some wonderful memories today for the years to come.

Santa Claus

“Aha, I thought so!” It was Christmas Eve. I was nine years old and feigning sleep when I saw my father sneak into the bedroom and pull a pogo stick out of the top of the closet. I knew it was mine. All I really wanted for Christmas that year was a pogo stick and I was expecting Santa to bring it for me. I guess by nine I had realized that Santa needed help to deliver all those toys. It made sense that my father would be helping to deliver my gift. It was comforting to have my suspicions confirmed.

In our family we all still believe in Santa Claus. If you stop believing you don’t get any presents. There is still magic in Christmas because in my heart of hearts I believe in Santa Claus.

Do you believe in Santa? Were you traumatized or did you know anyone who was traumatized when they discovered mom and dad’s role in helping Santa?

Christmas Families

This morning I helped sort food for the forty-eight families our church is helping this Christmas. This is the third year I have helped with this project, and I am amazed every year at the generosity of so many people. Our congregation is not huge, about 200 members, but they provide food enough for about a week including turkey and all the trimmings, plus clothes and toys for 168 children. This morning twenty volunteers worked bagging, sorting and labeling groceries for each family. Tomorrow more volunteers will check the gifts to make sure that each child has an appropriate gift and then wrap everything up. The people of the church donate all the food and all the gifts. It makes me feel good to be part of such a generous group.

What are you doing this year that makes you feel the spirit of Christmas?

Role Reversal

Over the years I have attended more school plays, piano recitals, scout award ceremonies, and children’s concerts than I can count. The number would be very large. I love my kids and grandkids so I was always happy to be there and support whatever the activity of the day happened to be. Tonight the roles were reversed. The senior chorale in which I sing had a holiday performance. In the audience were my children, my grandchildren, my husband and several good friends. It was wonderful to look out and see my fan club all there to hear the concert. The singing was much more fun with the people I love there to listen.

Rose

There is a beautiful red rose on my kitchen table. My husband gave it to me last night along with a wonderful hug. No real reason he said. It seems he had been listening to his co-workers discuss their divorces and unhappy family situations and he just realized how very blessed we are. He thought maybe it would be a good thing to tell me he loved me.

It is wonderful to know that I am loved.

I love you too.

Recovery

Today I went to see my orthopedic surgeon. I have been frustrated by the fact that I am recovering from the arthroscopy much more slowly than I anticipated. I still have pain and end up limping by the end of the day. I don’t like pain. The doctor drained a bunch of fluid off the knee and then injected cortisone into the joint. It should be much better in a week. If the knee is not better I will have to return to see him again in a month. Pray that the pain goes away and I can soon quit thinking about my knee.

Advent

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. Just as the world waited for the birth of Emmanuel, it now awaits the second coming of Emmanuel. Emmanuel is translated God with us. What does it mean in your life today that God is with you?

This afternoon I went to see the movie, ”The Nativity.” It is a very well done telling of the birth Jesus. I highly recommend it.

Play Day

Yesterday was a day to play.

In the morning I accompanied my daughter to the elementary school where her youngest is a third grader. My daughter volunteers there frequently and yesterday she was planning to do an art project which required a couple of extra hands. She read the kids a cute story, “Stranger In The Woods,” while I passed out the makings for bird feeders. Each child had a pinecone and a big scoop of peanut butter, which they were to carefully spread onto the pinecone, getting it as deep as possible into the little shelves of the cone. (What do you call those little shelves?) Some of the kids were very neat; they spread the peanut butter without getting any on themselves and covered each little shelf with precision. Others gleefully filled their hands with the gooey stuff and spread it over the cone, their desk and themselves. It was a wonderful mess. The cones were then rolled in birdseed and placed into plastic bags for transport home. We left teachers and children happy with the activity. It was fun.

In the afternoon I dressed in my finest attire and picked up two ladies for high tea at the Belair Mansion. The mansion, which was built in 1750, was the home of Maryland’s first governor. It is a beautiful old brick house, which was all decorated for Christmas. My friends are both in their eighties. They were as excited as two little girls playing dress-up. We sipped tea from fine china cups and ate fancy little cucumber sandwiches. We had scones with clotted cream and jam and lovely little cream puffs. It was an elegant affair. Watching the delight in my friends’ eyes made the afternoon a happy holiday memory.

December 7

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. Sixty-five years ago President Roosevelt said this date would live in infamy, a day the world would never forget. There are still thousand of sailors entombed in the wreckage of the Arizona where it was sunk on that day. Did you remember that this was the anniversary of the day Japan dropped bombs on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor? Don’t feel bad if you forgot. Very few people remembered. The morning paper is full of Iraq and the war we are fighting there. Many wars have been fought since World War II ended. Sadly war is a much too common thing.

I long for the day the prophet Micah foretold, when the nations, ”Shall beat their swords into plowshares; and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Micah 4:3)

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

Amazon

After spending a long day in the stores on Monday, today I decided to look on-line to do a little shopping. It really is just a little too easy to buy things from Amazon. I see lots of things that look like good gift ideas, and all I have to do is click. I click and instantly get a message saying I have just spent a kaboodle of money. Gifts are being shipped. There is no problem finding a parking space and no shivering in the cold. The biggest problem is that many of my first choice items are out of stock and I have to keep browsing. I will have to go back to the mall for some things, but it sure is nice to be able to just click.

Shopping

I began Christmas shopping today. I am blessed with a big family so there are a lot of gifts to buy. As my grandchildren get older it gets harder to find a gift that makes them go, “Wow! Thanks. This is the greatest thing ever.” I suppose I could just give them money. They would like that, but I can’t afford to give them enough to get a big ”Wow” from them. It is so much fun to watch them open presents that I really do want to get them something wonderful to open.

What was the best present you received as a teenager? What made you say, “Wow! This is the best present ever!”?

Sleigh Ride

One of the songs we are singing in the senior chorale holiday concert is Sleigh Ride. It is a fun song all about riding in a horse drawn sleigh, where they go, “ Gliding along with a song in winter fairy land.” I grew up in southern California where snow was something I saw on Christmas cards. In Maryland we usually get a couple of snowstorms each winter, but generally the snow melts in a few days. I have never even seen a real sleigh.
Have any of you ever been on a real sleigh ride? Was it as much fun as it sounds like in the song?

Christmas Tree with Harold the angel

Christmas Tree

While I was at therapy last Friday my husband and grandson got all the Christmas decorations down from the attic and put up our artificial tree. My husband put the angel on top (The angel is Harold, of Hark the Harold angel fame.) The rest of the tree was mine to decorate. DQ and I had a few Hallmark moments as we put on the decorations. Some of the decorations are old and have been on our tree since we married long ago. Our children made some of them. We have styrofoam meat trays cut into cookie cutter shapes and sprinkled with glitter. They still have the kids’ names written on the back in their childish hand. Friends gave many of the decorations to us; others are souvenirs of trips we have made. It is a tree full of memories.

DQ went off to play video games, and my husband napped. I thought about my mother. When I was a girl decorating the tree was a major holiday event. Every year without fail when we finished my mother would say, “It’s the prettiest tree we ever did have!” When I married and moved across the country every year without fail I would call my mother and tell her that this year we again had the prettiest Christmas tree we ever did have. My mother is gone. I miss her.

I want all of you to know that this year we have the prettiest Christmas tree we ever did have.

Tradition

We enjoyed a non-traditional Thanksgiving Day at the museum of the American Indian on the mall in Washington D.C. It is a beautiful building full of interesting exhibits. It has a wonderful cafeteria serving various foods representing foods eaten by American Indians. Being a traditionalist, I had turkey and all the trimmings. Others in the family ate salmon, buffalo, and burritos. The kids played in the rotunda; spinning in circles until they could no longer stand. It is always wonderful to hear my grandchildren’s laughter.

Over and over again the exhibits explained that today’s Indians maintain their culture by passing the traditions from one generation to the next. The music, the dances, and the stories help them to know who they are. I think that is true for all people. Our traditions help us to know who we are.

Yesterday we made a gumdrop cake. This is a recipe that my mother-in-law gave me. She made it every Christmas. I have made it every Christmas. Now my daughter makes it every Christmas. It contains two pounds of gumdrops, “cut up fine (no black ones!).” While we cut up the gumdrops we reminisced about Christmases past. It was a pleasant evening of telling family stories. We ate a piece of the cake and it tasted like Christmas.

What food is a tradition in your house? What tastes like Christmas to you?

Radio City

Yesterday we got up at o’dark-thirty to join a group of friends for a day trip to New York City. We arrived in the big city about noon with tickets for the 2 pm matinee of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. With just over an hour of free time and a not quite strong knee we decided to ride the elevator to the top of Rockefeller Center. From the observation deck seventy stories above the city, we gazed out on this ocean of buildings. It is an amazing sight. The day was crisp and clear. The Empire State Building looked like we could reach out and touch it. The Statue of Liberty looked small standing guard at far end of Manhattan. After soaking in the view we joined the hustle and bustle of the crowds surrounding Rockefeller center. I felt like a kid from the country looking up at tall buildings and sights all around me.

Then we made our way to the Music Hall. Wow! Is the only appropriate word as you enter the grand foyer. It is red and gold and magnificent. The show was great. Radio City means the Rockettes and thirty pairs of legs moving as one. The costumes were fabulous, the sets and lighting were amazing. The music was wonderful. We all came out humming Christmas music. The holidays are here. The Radio City Christmas show is a wonderful way to get into the spirit of Christmas and all the joy and happiness of the season.

Happy Holidays!

DQ

It is DQ’s fourteenth birthday. This young man is my grandson. When he was three years old he was in need of a family and my son and his wife and daughter were in need of a little boy. God helped them to find each other. The journey of life has been a constant adventure since this boy joined our family. He has become a Yugioh dueling champion. Once he tried to explain the game to me, but I just can’t quite figure it out. He and his eleven-year-old cousin can play for hours. I think you need to be a boy to learn the intricacies of Yugioh. We spent a week in the mountains with DQ last summer. Together we went on my first and last whitewater-rafting trip. At the end of that journey he declared that it had been the best day of his life. I pray that life is full of many best days for him. Happy Birthday, DQ.

Church

I love Sunday because it is church day. Church is more than a nice building, it is a group of people whom I have learned to love and who care about me. We share a love for God and we are family. The church we attend normally has two Sunday morning services. The 8:30 service has a praise band and more contemporary music. I love to sing along and clap my hands and feel the joy of the Lord. The 11 o’clock service has more traditional music and more organ music. I love the old hymns and the soaring sound of the organ. Today I attended both services and it was wonderful to sing and worship twice. The sermon was good, but I’ll confess I skipped the second go round of the preaching. After the second service we all had lunch together. The food was good, but the fellowship with each other was what was so good, there were lots of hugs and laughter. I love being a part of this church family.

Storm

Two days ago I gazed out the window while riding the exercise bike at physical therapy. The view was lovely. The trees were showing off their autumn splendor with bright reds, yellows and orange. I looked out at their beauty and visualized myself pedaling along a lake framed by a mountain of colorful leaves. It was so nice. Yesterday a fierce storm blew through town. We had lots of rain and powerful winds. Today I got on the exercise bike at therapy and gazed out on a bleak, leafless view. The trees looked so bare and empty. The trees announce that winter is not far away. What a difference one storm makes. I am sure there is a great moral to be learned here, but I’ll leave figuring it out up to you.

Aging

Getting old is something that happens little by little. Most of the time you don’t notice it is even happening, and then, all of a sudden something comes along and tells you, “Hey, look at that. You are getting old.”

I quit taking baths a couple of months ago. Don’t worry; I do take showers so I am clean. But I love to take a nice hot bubble bath. I soak in the warm, perfumed water and just let life float away. It is a lovely, peaceful time. A problem developed at the end of my last bath. I couldn’t get out of the bathtub. My knees felt too weak to get me up. I was afraid to stand up for fear of slipping and doing severe damage to either the bathtub or me. It was not a peaceful feeling. I did eventually manage to crawl over the edge and land safely on the floor, but it was a sight I am sure no one wants to try to visualize. I have not been in the tub again since that day.

Today my daughter and her friend came over. Her friend installed a grab bar on the wall of the bathtub. It is securely fastened so I can pull up and feel confident that I won’t fall down. It is a lovely gift. I am looking forward to a long, hot bubble bath. The grab bar sits there and says you need help. You are old. It also says my daughter loves me and I can take a bath. Life is full of mixed messages. I will dwell on the fact that I feel loved.

Friends

I have been so grateful for the love and concern shown me this past week by my many friends. One of the blessings of having surgery and not feeling well is that you become so aware of the blessing of friendship. With all the modern methods of communication I have heard from so many people in so many ways. A few of those who are closest to me came by to visit and see how they could be of help. It was such a joy to see them. Several called on the phone to check on me. It was so nice to hear their voice. I received a lovely assortment of get-well cards. How nice it is to get something other than bills in the mail. My email in-box was full of get-well wishes. There were many sweet comments on my blog. I love that there are so many ways to reach to people. I am not alone.

Therapy

“OK, now I’m going to press against your leg with my hand. Don’t let me move your leg. Hold it strong.” The therapist pressed against my right leg and my leg held firm against the pressure of her hand. “Ok, now let’s check the other leg.” She pressed against my left leg and it just gave way to the pressure of her hand. She then checked the range of motion in my knees. The left is limited, but not too bad. I had a knee replacement six years ago in the right leg. That was a long and brutal recovery. This won’t be nearly as bad. I have a ways to go, but I expect to be able to go on long walks again in less than a month. I will do my exercises because I do have places to go.

Home

I’m home. The surgery went well and I sure am glad yesterday is over. While waiting for surgery I got to be a pincushion for the student phlebotomists. I know they need to practice on someone, but three tries and misses were enough. I slept through the surgery part. The doctor trimmed off the torn up cartilage and smoothed out the rough spots. Waking up from anesthesia took a long time and was gross. But today I woke up feeling like me again. Percocet is a lovely drug and I am feeling fine. My sweet husband is a pretty good nurse.

Arthroscopy

I go in for my knee surgery in the morning. The plan is to be home by evening. I will be glad when this is all over and done and I am up dancing again.

Music

A friend invited us to a choral festival celebration, which we attended last night. It was wonderful. The program was held in the chapel of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. What a beautiful place to listen to powerful music. The chapel is laid out as all cathedrals in the shape of a cross. Beautiful stained glass and symbols remind you that this is not only a place of worship, but also a place of history. The festival choir sang music that spoke to my soul and led me to place of worship and peace. The conclusion of the program was a postlude by the pipe organ. Have you ever been so lost in the music that you felt like you actually a part of it? That is how I felt. I was no longer just listening, but actually inside this glorious music. I could feel the vibrations of the sound coming up through the floor and filling my body and my soul. It was a powerful sensation to be lost in that glorious sound. I hope there is a great pipe organ in heaven.

Personal Hero

Recently my nine-year-old granddaughter called and asked if she could interview me. She said she need to get information for a school report about her personal hero. She wanted to write about me. Wow! I thought that was just such a wonderful thing. Imagine having your granddaughter think of you as her personal hero. I was quite happy. So I went over and this sweet little girl asked me about my work with hospice. She wanted to know who had inspired me and why I liked to help people. When she was done I thanked her for picking me and told her I felt honored. She replied, “That’s OK, Gramma. The policeman down the street was too busy to talk to me so I chose you instead.” Oh well. It’s nice to be the first runner up hero. I did read the report she wrote. It was so sweet. I did feel like her hero.

Good News

I went to the dentist today for my routine checkup. I heard those wonderful words, “No cavities. Everything looks great. Keep up the good work.” All that flossing paid big dividends today. After leaving the dentist’s office I went to see my doctor for my pre-op clearance. He said I was healthy and everything was ok for surgery. Nice to know that I am healthy enough to have my knee fixed.

Did you get any good news today?

Trunk or Treat

Yesterday we had a trunk or treat party for the children at church. It was so much fun for all the kids. There were little monsters and witches along with mermaids, dragons, a chicken and several princesses. I dressed in my “orange dress” for this party, (I was told that I looked like Cinderella on crack,) and helped at one of the tables. We had an assortment of Halloween crafts and games and a scavenger hunt for the kids, followed by hot dogs and chips Then came the big event of the afternoon, trunk or treating. The church folks had decorated their cars and filled the parking lot. The kids then went from car to car shouting, “Trunk or Treat!” and filled their sacks with goodies. It was a couple of hours of organized pandemonium and great fun. I love that our church lets our kids enjoy the simple joys of this day.

20

Another life-changing event occurred twenty years ago today. I became a grandmother.

It was a day full of phone calls. Early in the morning my daughter called from Nashville. “Mom, we’re on our way to the hospital. My water broke and the doctor says I should come in now.” I asked her if she was ok and she replied, “Oh Mom, I’m so scared.” Nashville seemed very far away at that moment. I got up and went on to work, making sure everyone knew to come and get me when “the call” came. The call that came first was scary. It was my son-in-law saying they were going to do an emergency C-section because the baby was in distress. “Please pray,” he asked. I prayed. A very long hour later he called again. “We have a little girl. She’s perfect. Laurel is fine. Oh, Sue, I have a little girl and I’m in love.” After I stopped crying I realized I had been taking a patient’s blood pressure and I had just left him sitting there with the cuff around his arm. He laughed and congratulated me and gave me $20 to buy diapers. Then there were lots of happy phone calls to family and friends. What joy! I had a granddaughter. What wonder! My little girl was a mother. Then there were calls to the airlines. I was flying to Nashville to meet my granddaughter. Gary was right. She was perfect.

Now she is twenty years old and she’s back in Tennessee where she is a junior at Milligan College. She is bright, confident, beautiful, and in my eyes she is still perfect.

Happy birthday, Ashley. I love you.

Politics

I am counting the days until election day. I am so tired of political ads that spew mud on the opponent and hurl insults on anyone who might support the opponent. I am beginning to feel dirty. According to the ads I hear and read if I vote for the Republicans I must be against finding cures for difficult diseases and I must want the war to continue. Voting for the Democrats means the terrorists will win and I am against family values. What are family values anyway? I think the greatest family value is loving one another and treating each other with kindness and respect. None of the ads I have seen demonstrate respect and kindness toward those with different opinions. I don’t think any of the candidates running in Maryland are evil people. They all seem to have some good ideas and some ideas with which I disagree. I will vote for the people whose ideas seem to most closely reflect my values and opinions. I am hoping for a break in the ugly rhetoric soon.

Knee

I went to see my orthopedic surgeon today. He told me just what I expected him to tell me. The cartilage in my knee has two large tears. If I don’t do something the knee will stay inflamed which will lead to arthritis and degeneration. This happened to my other knee and I had to have it replaced six years ago. That was not fun. All I need now is arthroscopic surgery. That is a same day procedure. He will repair the torn cartilage, I’ll be on crutches a couple of days, and then I will be all better. No more knee pain. The success rate is 95%. The main complication is post-op infection, which happens about one percent of the time. There is a remote possibility of a blood clot, less than a one percent probability. I told him to go ahead and schedule the procedure. A procedure sounds less frightening than surgery. I know this is a minor surgery, but it is being done on me, and that makes it major. I am sure I will be fine. I am afraid.

Laurel

Forty-three years ago today my world changed. I have not been the same person since that day. I became a mother. There are no words that adequately describe what it means to become a mother. There is a part of me that is now a whole separate person and yet still part of every aspect of my being. It is the most wonderful, awesome and scary experience of my life.

Laurel is my first-born. She was this tiny little bundle with huge brown eyes. When I first held her, her eyes seemed to be staring straight into my heart. The wonder of her existence in my arms evoked such powerful, overwhelming feelings of fierce love. I still have that same feeling of overwhelming love when I think about this little girl who has grown into a beautiful woman. She is a wife, a mother, and one of my best friends.

Happy birthday, Laurel. I love you.

Seasoned

Today we received a sweet thank you note from the friends who were our recent houseguests. In the note they said, “Staying with a seasoned couple was good for our marriage.” Now I know that is a compliment, but I also know that seasoned here means old. We have been married forever and have been through a lot of life together. I guess seasoning is just what comes from living a long time. It is nice that someone finds us to be well seasoned.

Door-to-Door Salesmen

Replacing our vacuum cleaner caused me to think back to the evening we purchased our Kirby. We were young newly-weds, living in a small apartment in southern California. One evening a door-to-door salesman came knocking. He was selling Kirby vacuum cleaners. We invited this stranger in and he proceeded to demonstrate the wonders of this cleaning machine. It could do everything from clean my carpet to polish my silver and it came with enough attachments to entirely fill up a large closet. We were sold and paid far more than we could afford for this wonderful machine.

After we moved to Maryland the Fuller Brush man came calling. By then we had a houseful of babies and a little adult conversation was worth the price of his wonderful brushes and cleaning supplies. He came by frequently. We also had a milkman who delivered milk, eggs, bread, sweet rolls and friendly conversation.

Today I cannot imagine inviting a strange salesman into my house. I would be afraid. There is no friendly milkman who brings food and friendship. The only door- to-door salesmen I respond to are neighborhood children selling cookies for their school or scout fundraisers.

When was the last time you bought something from a door-to-door salesman?

This and That

The house seems a little too quiet tonight. After having houseguests for 10 days it seems a little empty with just the two of us. It was fun to get to know our friends a little better and to spoil their baby while he was here.

This morning at church we celebrated “The Blessing of the Keys.” This is a neat thing our congregation does when a teenager starts to drive. The teenager and an adult friend are called up to the front of the church before the service begins and we pray for their safety as they begin driving. Then they go out together and drive for an hour. They return at the end of service and report on their driving experience. We pray for them again and they are given key chains from the congregation to remind them that they are covered with God’s love. It is a nice thing for the kids. This morning one the teenagers was my tall, handsome grandson. I find it hard to believe he is so nearly grown.

This evening I sat in the bleachers at my eleven year old grandson’s lacrosse game. The air was cool and crisp. Geese were flying overhead in large, noisy vees, making their way south for the winter. There is a touch of red and yellow in the leaves. It is fall, time to enjoy the last beautiful days before another winter moves us indoors. I love the changing seasons.

Vacuum Ceaners

We bought a new vacuum cleaner today. The old Kirby we bought as newlyweds has just worn out. I guess after forty-five years we did get our money’s worth out of it. Do you know how many different kinds of vacuum cleaners are available? It was very hard to decide. Did I need an upright or a canister? Should it have a bag or be bag less? I could spend anywhere from $40 to over $500. What is the difference between a $200 model and a $500 dollar model? A very nice saleslady came to help us, but she really wasn’t much help. She knew about the merchandise, but, well, it really just depended on my personal preference. So many decisions to make! We did buy a Kenmore canister model. It seemed much lighter than our old Kirby and I thought it would be easier to use. I hope it last us forty-five years.

Octoberfest

Yesterday I joined friends from my senior chorale to celebrate fall with an Octoberfest. We gathered in a beautiful home overlooking the river for an afternoon of bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, and, of course lots of German beer. The host, dressed in his lederhosen, grilled the sausage and manned the bar. There was lots of music, easy conversation, and laughter.

I have observed that the older we get the more we seem to enjoy life. We have figured out that life is a wonderful gift and each moment should be savored. Do something wonderful today!

Memories

Today my daughter and I were sitting on her back porch just talking and enjoying the afternoon sun. We began to talk about the trip we are planning to California next summer. Her kids want to see Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean. California is the place where I grew up and I want to introduce my grandchildren to my brothers whom they have never met. I said I would like to go to the Church of Christ in Whittier. As I said those words a huge lump stopped my throat, my eyes filled with tears, and emotions flooded over me. I couldn’t speak as the memories poured over me. I grew up in that church. I learned to love Jesus there. I remember the sweetness and purity I felt when I was baptized there at age eleven. I held tightly to my father’s arm in that building as I walked down the aisle the day I was married. Dennis was smiling and so handsome. The building was decorated with yellow roses and filled with family and friends the day we celebrated my parents golden anniversary. They were laughing and happy that day. Then the building again filled with flowers, family and friends at my dad’s funereal. My mom held tightly to my arm and cried. Two years ago we had mom’s funeral there. At age 94 she had outlived most of her friends so the crowd was smaller, but her family gathered and tearfully honored this wonderful woman.

I want to once again visit this little church. It is holy ground for me.

Weekends

What did you do this weekend?

This weekend I took my thirteen-year-old granddaughter shopping and out to dinner to celebrate her birthday. I went to three performances of the play. Three of my grandchildren were involved in the latest teen theater production and their performances were stellar! We enjoyed visiting with our houseguests. We enjoyed a pre-theater family dinner for fourteen at my daughter’s home. I got to hear all about my fifteen-year-old granddaughter’s homecoming dance and visit with the nineteen-year-old who was home from college this weekend. We all celebrated with my husband who is part of the scientific team that was just awarded the Nobel Prize for physics. I love weekends crowded to overflowing with happy family activity.

Babies

We have houseguests this week, one of whom is a beautiful seven-month-old baby. I am getting my baby fix. Is there any sound sweeter than the burbling and laughter of a contented baby? Is there anything funnier than a grandfather trying to feed sweet potatoes to a hungry baby? Is there a sweeter smell than a baby fresh from his bath? Is there anything more wonderful than rocking a sleeping baby?

Peace

One of my favorite hymns begins, “Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin; the blood of Jesus whispers peace within.” Then I read the newspaper and watch the evening news. I truly do see a dark world of sin and wonder about this perfect peace of which I sing. Is it possible to really live in perfect peace in a place where terrorists murder innocent children, where a sniper picks a gun and begins shooting just to see how many innocents he can kill? Our world is unsafe and evil is all around us. Must I arm myself and learn how to shoot a gun in order to have peace? Would that make me feel safer or less afraid? Somehow that thought only makes me feel more afraid. I can imagine a scenario where I could entertain the idea of murder, but I have not actually been in that situation. I do not want to prepare to do something that I should never have to do.

Where is peace? I find it only in a faith that transcends the fear, even when I am afraid. I find it in the arms of a good man who loves me even when I am angry. I find peace rocking a sweet baby and holding this innocence close to my heart. I see hope in groups of teenagers working together to help someone less fortunate than themselves. I find faith beside the bed of an old man who is dying but looking forward to what is yet to be.

“Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown;
Jesus we know, and he is on the throne.”

Talking to Strangers

Would you tell a stranger things you would not tell a friend?

My seatmate on our recent flight was a woman just a bit younger than me. When I sat down she was looking at a handful of seashells. She then proceeded to tell me about gathering the shells with her granddaughter and how she missed her extended family. Her significant other had just died very unexpectedly and she was having a hard time coping with life. I heard all sorts of personal details and difficult emotions. My comments were “I’m sorry”, or “That must be hard.” On previous flights I have listened to people share emotions about broken hearts or job loses or difficulties with their children. Why do people tell me all these stories? I don’t know them and will probably never see them again. Is that why? Is it easier to talk to a stranger?

Have you heard some interesting stories from strangers?

Artwalk

The town of Scottsdale is one of the largest art centers west of the Mississippi. On Thursday evenings all of the small galleries in the art district stay open late for artwalk. There are hundreds of art galleries showing many different varieties of art. Most of the galleries serve wine so you can sip wine and admire the paintings and sculptures. Some of it was beautiful and pulled me right into the paintings. Some of it puzzled me. What was the artist trying to say with these colors? I loved portraits of old women with sparkling eyes and a face full of wrinkles. I wanted to talk to the people in those paintings. I was intrigued by the landscapes with a path leading into the unknown area out of the picture. Where would that road lead me? I wanted to buy a watercolor of a magnificent eagle, but, as beautiful as it was, I couldn’t afford the bargain sale price of $5000. It was a lovely evening.

Sedona

There are no words that adequately describe the awesome beauty of Sedona. I have seen many pictures of these red rocks, but was still unprepared for the emotion felt when I was actually standing in the presence of these wonderful monuments to God’s creative ability. One of the best places to feel God’s glory is at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This chapel is built into the side of a red rock cliff. There is great symbolism here of Christ’s church being built on a rock. It was the desire of the builder that this place would be so charged with God that it would spur a person’s spirit godward. I certainly felt God’s presence in that place.

In the town of Sedona we picked up a map of the several vortexes in town. Sedona is well known for energy vortexes. These are said to be subtle energy forces coming from the surface of earth that interact with who a person is inside. This interaction of energy is supposed to leave one feeling uplifted for days afterwards. We did stand at the Bell Rock Vortex, and even though we missed the Harmonic Convergence, I am feeling pretty good today.

Taliesin West

Yesterday we toured Taliesin West. Taliesin West is the winter home built by Frank Lloyd Wright. What an interesting place! It was far less and far more than I expected it to be. It was definitely far less grand than I expected. Wright built it more as a camp than a house. The buildings are made of stone quarried from the local area and it blends in so well with the environment that you don’t see it from a distance, the roof was just white canvas, so you felt like you were in a glorified tent. We sat in his living room where he loved to entertain. I sat in a Wright designed chair that was not very comfortable. Chairs like it manufactured now sell for $500,000. (I’ll try to post a picture of me sitting in this half million dollar chair.) His home reflected a very intelligent, eccentric, self-absorbed man.

The thing that inspired us about Wright was that the vast bulk of his work occurred after he was eighty years old. During his last twelve years of life he produced over a third of his work. Being old does not mean you have to quit being productive.

Scottsdale

Yesterday we flew across the country to Scottsdale, Arizona. This is a true vacation, no children, no grandchildren and no schedule. We have never been here before and just decided now was a good time. We exchanged a week of our Florida timeshare for a week here at the very posh Weston Kierland Resort. The weather is warm, about 100 degrees today, but it really doesn’t feel that hot. Our room overlooks the golf course so we are surrounded by green. Once we leave the resort, though, the world becomes dry and brown with a beauty that can only be seen in the desert. Saguaro cacti dot the landscape. The McDowell Mountains rise up from the desert and the sky is clear and blue.

We went into Scottsdale’s historic district today and looked through lots of interesting shops and galleries. We ate lunch at the Rusty Spur Saloon. It is advertised in all the tour books as the last of the real cowboy salons. It was a lot smaller than I expected only eight tables and a small bar. It was a fun place with good food though. I did wonder how my daughter, the roving restaurant reviewer would describe it. The walls were covered with dollar bills that people had thumb tacked to the wall. Many of the bills had hand written notes on them. There was a board covered with names of all those who had made it into the worm club. I’m sure some of you who go to bars more often than me can explain the purpose of this club. A country musician was in the corner singing county western songs. He added a nice sound to the place. There was a catalogue of all the souvenirs they sold. It had the usual tee shirts and caps. They even sold souvenir condoms. I could see this might be a useful item, but not something I had ever thought of as a souvenir. Would I put it in my scrapbook?

Equinox

I wish you all a happy and joy filled Autumnal Equinox.

Music

My children and grandchildren have introduced me to many different types of music, much of which I really do enjoy. Today, though, I spent an hour singing my music. I helped with a sing-a-long at the senior citizens center and was surrounded by the songs of home. It was like comfort food for the ears. These were the song I heard my mother sing and the songs I listened to on the radio. It was such fun to sing “The Whiffenpoof Song” and “Chickery Chick.” I sang “I Want To Be Happy” with a perky 102-year-old lady who truly made me happy. My favorites were songs from the musicals. In a time before CDs or DVDs I went to the movies over and over again just to hear songs like “Oh What A Beautiful Morning,” “I Believe” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Music is such a powerful and wonderful blessing!

What songs are like comfort food for your ears?

Mom

My mother would have been 101 today. Mom was my hero. I would like to be just like her.

Today I have been thinking about how she could make us laugh. She usually didn’t mean to be funny, she just was. Before she and dad married she decided to buy him a pedestal ashtray to sit beside his easy chair. He opened the gift at her house and said he would just leave it there and use it at her house. “But, William, I wanted you to take it home and have it there” He said he didn’t think his mother would allow it in the house. He asked if she had really looked at the pedestal. She looked more closely at it and discovered the pedestal was a provocatively posed nude. She blushed and admitted she had not noticed the naked woman. One year she gave my dad several pair of cute socks for Christmas. They were decorated with cute smiling pigs and the initials MCP. “Mom, do you know what those initials stand for?” Her response was, “What initials?” she had given dad socks indicating he was a male chauvinist pig. She was again embarrassed. Another time she made a chicken casserole for a big family dinner. It looked great! Then we tasted it and found it was not edible. “Mom, what did you put in this? It is too hot to eat.” She said the recipe called for two cans of green chili peppers, weren’t jalapeno peppers the same thing? Whenever mom got caught in a mistake she would laugh and make it into a wonderful moment for all of us. Life was too precious to get upset by the mistakes she or any one else made. Her laughter was infectious and covered a multitude of life’s problems.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Another Elegant Party

Yesterday we had a big party at church to honor Dee. Dee has just retired after serving the church for over 20 years as a pastoral assistant. She is a wonderful, caring lady who is much loved by everyone. This party required more work and people than a tea party for grandchildren. Instead of seven and eight, the average age was seventy and eighty. Many people cooked and prepared decorations and favors for this party. We severed of homemade turkey salad, cranberry salad and blueberry muffins to 250 people. The tables were decorated with angels, which had been lovingly made, by a group of older women. I spent Friday and Saturday in the church kitchen helping to get it all ready. The work was actually a lot of fun because of the friendship and love shared by all the helpers. We laughed and told stories and got in each other’s way. After lunch there was a program to honor Dee. The program was just right. Dee glowed in the love that was showered upon her.

Isn’t it fun to do something for someone you love?

New Store

A new grocery store has opened here. Today was the grand opening. It is big and beautiful, and they have a little of everything. The produce section had lots of wonderful fruits and vegetables. I had never heard of several of them before. The management figured that these would be new to many customers and had put up little signs that described the flavor and how to cook these strange looking foods. Today it felt like a party in this new store. It was crowded with curious, friendly shoppers. I visited with friends from all over town as we browsed and ate some of the many free samples that were offered today. I left the store full and happy and didn’t even buy anything.

Don’t you just love checking out new stores?

5 Teenagers

Yesterday we celebrated my number five grandchild’s thirteenth birthday along with my second grandchild’s seventeenth birthday. That means I have five teenage grandchildren. I think I must be old. I’m not sure when they got so big. I must not have been paying attention. How can I be old enough to have five teenagers who call me Gamma?

An Elegant Party

The table was set with the best china. Lovely white linen napkins were in place on the lace tablecloth. The guests, wearing elegant hats, were sipping Kool-Aid with their pinky fingers sticking out. We had tea sandwiches, which we had cut out with cookie cutters earlier and arranged lovingly on a crystal plate. The plate was garnished with fresh berries and chocolate. My guests, ages seven and eight, and I were having genteel conversation at our elegant tea party. “My children are always so noisy when they return from school. They disturb my quiet reading. I find I must stop and play ‘I Spy With My little Eye’ with them. Then they will be quiet again,” says my eight-year-old granddaughter. I admire her wise child rearing practice and ask how she handles her servants. “Well, I find that when the butler has done a good job, it is good to throw a dollar into his hat. A little extra money seems to keep him happy.” We then discuss which boutiques we have found best and where to shop for handbags. After we have eaten all the sandwiches and chocolate we decide to go watch “The Little Mermaid.”

I love being a gramma.

9/11

Where were you on 9/11? What did you do?

I was working at the doctor’s office. There was a TV in the waiting room for the patients to watch while they waited. Suddenly we were aware of something unusual going on. It was reported that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. What a terrible accident we thought. How could that have happened? As the events of the morning unfolded on the TV it became more and more difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. The office was full of patients, and taking care of them seemed like the best thing we could do. Then a plane hit the Pentagon and my world seemed to stop. My son works in the Pentagon. Was he okay? Was he alive? What was happening? Our office is located near Andrews Air Force Base and it shook as the planes scrambled into the air. I tried to concentrate on my work, but I kept shaking as I thought about it all. There was no word from David and no way to call him. Dr D came and hugged me. “Any word from your son? Just breathe.” Patients came, were cared for, and left. The noise of airplanes permeated the building. In the afternoon I went outside and listened to the planes and prayed. My coworker found me there. She said, ”Your daughter is on the phone. She just talked to David. He is Okay.” Then the tears came and I could breath again.

That night many of us gathered at church for an impromptu, informal prayer service. We felt angry, afraid, and confused. We found comfort in being together and sharing the emotions of that terrible day.

My son is alive and well. Other families could not say that. So many died. So many more continue to die because of that day. The world is not the same.

This morning I went to school with my granddaughter to celebrate grandparents’ day. There was a short musical program and time to visit in her third grade classroom. She is bright and happy and was proud to introduce her gramma to her classmates. In many ways the world is still the same.

Homeland Security

I drew this picture of two abandoned lookout towers at the beach where we played this summer. Similar towers are scattered up and down the Atlantic coast. They are relics left over from World War II. During World War II people who kept a vigilant lookout for submarines that might be trying to launch an attack on America manned these towers. During that same time my father-in-law and other volunteers climbed to the top of the Bank of America building in our little California town. The bank building was six stories high, by far the tallest structure around. They watched for enemy aircraft. They were armed with binoculars and a chart of pictures of enemy airplanes. Lookout towers and volunteers on tall buildings were our homeland security system.

Technology has improved. The old towers stand empty. Do you feel any safer?

Annapolis

The storm of last weekend is long gone. This morning the weather was perfect, just calling us outside. We decided to go visit Annapolis, one of our favorite places to spend time. We forgot that there was a Navy football game today, which delayed us a while as the midshipmen marched from the Academy to the stadium. It was really a neat sight. Thousands of young men and women in their dress whites marched by while the navy band played rousing marching music. It was a stirring patriotic sight. After the parade we went to the City Dock and enjoyed lunch on a patio beside Ego Alley. Ego Alley is a small inlet off the Annapolis harbor where beautiful yachts come in and turn around, just for the joy of seeing and being seen. It is always a busy place full of interesting people showing off their expensive toys. After lunch we cruised out under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on one of tourist boats. The sky was blue, the sun was warm and a cool breeze made the day perfect. The water looked like a field of glittering diamonds with the sun reflecting off of it. The bridge looks very different looking up from the water. Up on the bridge there is nonstop traffic zooming by. The scene below is calm and peaceful. From either perspective the Chesapeake Bridge is quite an impressive sight. We obviously weren’t the only ones who wanted to be out one the water today. There were thousands of sail boats to be seen enjoying the afternoons breeze. They were a beautiful sight.

I hope you found time to see something beautiful today.

Retirement

People frequently ask me what I do all day now that I have retired. The answer is, “Whatever I want!” This week I am working as a substitute nurse for two days. This is the job I used to do. I come home exhausted too tired to enjoy anything else. I am so thankful I am not that tired all the time anymore

Retirement is wonderful. I stay very busy, but I do start the day later and go a little slower. I read more. I take art lessons at the senior center and find great pleasure in drawing pictures of this beautiful world. I sing one day a week in the senior chorale. That is a great group of friendly people who think parties are a required part of the program. I spend time visiting people who are sick and lonely. I hear lots of good stories from little old ladies who need a friendly ear. I teach Sunday school and laugh at the antics of my second graders. I am learning yoga. I love yoga. Tonight is bell choir practice. This is the first practice since May and I am really looking forward to our new season. When we get it right the bells make glorious music. I play with my grandchildren and go out to dinner with my sweet husband. Retirement is wonderful. I highly recommend it.

Inconvenience

The remains of hurricane Ernesto blew through here last Friday. It brought lots of rain and lots of wind and knocked down several trees, which took down the power lines and left us without electricity for three days. I hate to complain, but being without electricity for three days causes a lot of inconvenience. Electricity is something I usually just take for granted. I flip the switch and the lights are supposed to come on. This morning I am very aware of the blessings of electrical power. I am sitting here at the computer, sipping coffee brewed in my all-electric kitchen, while the dishwasher hums in the background and my music is playing on the CD player. The air-conditioner is cooling my hot and humid house, and the lights are all working. A normal sounding morning brought to me by the power of electricity.

Yesterday we grilled all the meat in our non-working freezer. I won’t have to cook for several days now. This morning I threw away the remains of food in the refrigerator and freezer that were probably unsafe to eat. We spent several hours cleaning the remains of the storm from our yard. There was no serious damage. No one was hurt. It was an inconvenient week-end. I am counting my blessings.