Walking

Yesterday I was part of a group of people walking to raise money for research to find better treatments and a cure for Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. Our family team was able to raise $2262 for the cause. Hopefully one day treatments will be found for my grandchildren and all those others who afflicted by this yucky disease.

Because we live near our nation's capital we had a beautiful route to walk. We met the other walkers on the grounds of the Washington Monument.


The walkers headed out about six in the evening, heading towards the Tidal Basin.


By the time we reached the tidal basin we (my sweetie and I) had fallen to the end of the pack and were falling behind. My not quite recovered foot and my arthritic knees were beginning to complain. When the other walkers turned left at the Tidal Basin to walk around the Jefferson Memorial, we turned right and found a bench.


We enjoyed the view and the lovely weather and then walked about a block to the place where the others would complete their journey around the basin and we joined the route to the finish line. We cut more than a mile off the route with our shortcut. We were strolling along when the first of the walkers overtook us. A father and his young son had obviously run the entire way and were far ahead of the rest of the pack. I heard the boy say too his dad as they ran past, “Wow, those old people really must be fast.”

We walked on past the world War II Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background. It was a beautiful sight.


Approaching the end of the course we saw the White House and found a comfortable wall to sit and wait for the rest of our family. How many other places could you walk with such beautiful scenery?


We all crossed the finish line together. It had been a good day.

Golden Afterglow

I think we are both radiating a golden afterglow as reflect on the wonderful weekend our kids planned to celebrate our golden anniversary.

We began with a crab feast on Friday night with small gathering of family and friends at our daughter Ann's house. It was a lovely evening full of food and laughter. I was a bit distracted looking forward to the big party on Saturday, wondering what surprises our kids had in store for us.

Saturday we were told not to arrive for the party until it was time for the festivities to begin, so we spent the morning at a dance recital watching our thirteen year old granddaughter. Since we have no previous experience at celebrating our fiftieth anniversary we assume a dance recital is a normal part of the festivities. Finally it was time to put on our party clothes and head off to the church.

When we walked into the church hall the first thing we saw was my wedding gown displayed on a mannequin. Our daughter wore the same dress twenty-seven years ago, but it had been packed away since then. It is still as beautiful as I remembered it to be. We looked around and the next thing I saw was my three handsome grandsons all dressed up in white shirts and ties. This was not there normal attire and they did look beautiful. The room was decorated with flowers and candles and looked like a great place for a party. A big wedding cake filled one corner with a groom's cake next to it, decorated to look like a left handed dice.

Guests began to arrive and we were busy greeting them when our daughter called us to greet some special guests. There stood Randy and Edna. They had been our best-man and maid of honor. We have not seen them in over thirty years. We had all been best friends in college and for the many years after that. Careers and family have separated us, but our love and friendship has continued. I could not believe they were here. It took my breath away. What a wonderful surprise!


Our son-in-law called everyone to attention and we all sat down as he welcomed everyone and said some sweet things about us. He started talking about our wedding and how they had recently seen some color pictures of the event and discovered that our bridesmaids had not worn gray dresses. They had been a lovely blue. At that point our grandchildren entered the room dressed as our wedding party had been dressed fifty years ago. Our daughter had made the dresses to match those dresses worn at our wedding. Of course I cried as these beloved grandchildren of ours entered the room.


After the grandchildren entered, Gary went on to say that I always said I wanted a brass band to play, “When the Saints Go Marching In” at my funeral. The kids decided that if they were going to hire a brass band they would prefer to have me there to enjoy it. So they had hired a band to play for us. The band played and I cried. The band continued to play as we visited and laughed with friends and family. What an amazing, wonderful party!

We had a photographer for the big event whose pictures we have not yet seen, but I'll share a few now. Rest assured there will be more.

We concluded the day with a cookout at Laurel and Gary's house. It was good to have time to sit and visit with everyone and reflect on the day.

Just to make the week end complete all my children and grandchildren joined us for church on Sunday morning. It felt so good to worship surrounded by the people I love most in the whole world.

It was all perfect. We felt very loved and very honored.

50 Years Ago Today

25th

My in-laws twenty-fifth wedding anniversary came the same week as my graduation from nursing school and our wedding day. They had decided that there was no time to celebrate their big anniversary. We knew they had wanted a party, but there just was no opportunity. They hosted our rehearsal dinner. They had prepared and served a lovely dinner and were preparing to serve the pie they had fixed for dessert when people just sort of disappeared. They were a bit confused and irritated when they were summoned to the patio. The kids had ordered a small wedding cake in honor of their special day. My betrothed and I marched in bearing gifts of silver wearing the clothes they had worn on their wedding day. They were delighted that we had found a way to honor them.


Twenty five years later our children and friends surprised us with a silver anniversary party. We felt loved and special and we understood how our parents had felt when we surprised them.


It is twenty five years later. This weekend our children are planning a party to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. We are very excited to see what wonders they have have in mind for us.

Fifty years ago this week I graduated from Pasadena City College's School of Nursing. Dressed in my starched white uniform, perfectly set cap, and a wool red and blue cape I marched into the Rose Bowl with my class of forty nursing students and a thousand cap and gowned regular college students. It was a hot day and that wool cape was uncomfortably warm, but I did look so professional and I felt so proud.

I chose wisely when I became a nurse. The career suited me. I delivered babies and cared for tiny preemies. I gave shots, started IVs, emptied bedpans, changed dressings, bathed and comforted the sick. I held both patients and their families while they cried. I cheered when they recovered. I learned so much about life and people. I have so many wonderful stories and memories. I loved being a nurse. Now I enjoy knowing that my RN stands for retired nurse.

On that day fifty years ago my parents were proud and happy, just as parents everywhere have always been on graduation day.

Sofie Graduates

Yesterday was Sofie's high school graduation. This was a different child and a different graduation, but still overflowing with love and emotion.

Sofie's class had seven hundred graduates. The audience filled up the big Comcast Center at the University of Maryland. Because she is a member of the National Honor Society she sat in the middle of the very front row and was among the first to graduate. We are all so very proud of her. It is hard to believe she is grown and leaving for college in the fall. The years have flown by too quickly.

You would think that after watching our five kids and now five of our grandchildren graduate we would have learned to less emotional about these events. It hasn't happened yet. I still cry every time Pomp and Circumstance is played.

All her happy parents and siblings


With her brother and sister


Proud grandparents

DQ Graduates

Today we celebrated my son's birthday by attending his son's high school graduation.

Today's ceremony was much like all other high school graduations. Pomp and circumstance played as the graduates marched in. Proud and happy families filled the room. There were the routine commencement speeches. In other ways this was a most unusual graduation. DQ graduated from RICA, a special school for kids who have had trouble dealing with life. There were only fourteen kids in the graduating class, each with a special story. Today's joy was a very great achievement for them and for the many people who have helped them to get to today. I cried as he walked across that stage today. Along with his diploma he revived several awards and scholarships.

Here he is with his mom and dad.

And with his happy grandparents.

Memorial Day

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.



We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

Prom

Friday was prom night here in our town. There were long lines of boys standing in line at the floral department of the grocery store. Some were already in prom finery, others were still in jeans and tee shirts. They were all trying to act very cool as they picked up corsages for the evening. I am just a little old lady who thought they all looked adorably cute.

Of course I knew it was prom night. My seventeen year old granddaughter, our prom queen, has been planning on this event since she entered high school. Prom is a really big deal. Several couples were invited to the granddaughter's house for a pre-prom paparazzi party. There were fancy snacks and many parents with cameras. The girls were all so beautiful in their lovely gowns, the boys so handsome in their tuxes. I think they actually enjoyed posing for the pictures. I loved seeing these beautiful young people. They were so full of joy and excitement.

After the pictures were all finally taken they piled into a limo and were off to the prom.

The parents all settled into the kitchen to relax and eat when the phone rang. The big limo had broken down half way to the prom. They were stuck beside the road. There was a flurry of discussion about what to do. The parents of one of the boys had a big van that would hold all the kids. They drove it to the stranded prom goers and they all made it the big dance. They had a wonderful time with a more interesting story than they had expected.

Notes From the Other Side

My friend Carol died yesterday. This poem, written by Jane Kenyon, is for Carol as she discovers life on the other side.

Notes from the Other Side

 
I divested myself of despair
and fear when I came here.

Now there is no more catching
one's own eye in the mirror,

there are no bad books, no plastic,
no insurance premiums, and of course

no illness. Contrition
does not exist, nor gnashing

of teeth. No one howls as the first
clod of earth hits the casket.

The poor we no longer have with us.
Our calm hearts strike only the hour,

and God, as promised, proves
to be mercy clothed in light.

Three Score and Ten

“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years.” Psalm90:10

It is amazing how fast seventy years can fly by. I am now officially old.
I can quit worrying about dying young.

Compassion

Yesterday our class at church was discussing compassion and how to teach kindness to children. Of course it takes many lessons for us to become compassionate people, but this example from my childhood is one of my favorite memories.



My mom truly enjoyed doing good deeds for others. Frequently I tagged along on one of her many good works. One day when I was about seven years old I went with mom to visit the patients at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, a large rehabilitation facility. I didn't like the big wards full of sick people. The ward that scared me most was the one that was full of patients in iron lungs. I couldn’t imagine how anyone could live in one of those big, scary tubes. Mom had given me a Hershey’s chocolate bar as a reward for behaving while she went to see people. I was carrying my candy bar as we walked down the long porch of the hospital. Patients in rocking chairs lined the porch. One of them saw my candy bat and said he sure did love Hershey's Bars. He sure wished he could have some chocolate. My generous mom gave me “the look,” and I knew what I had to do. I gave the old man my candy and walked on with a dejected face. I really had not wanted to give it away. When mom was finished with her visit we walked back out along the porch full of patients. A little lady tapped me on the shoulder. She said she had seen me give away my candy and wanted to thank me for my generosity. To reward my generous act she gave me a whole, unopened Whitman's Sampler. A big box of chocolates just for one candy bar. I looked at it in awe. Being the good church kid that I was I looked at my mom and said, “I have cast my bread upon the waters and it has returned unto me.”

Mother's Day

My daddy would always try to sneak the white boxes from the florist into the house. Mom and I would look at each other and grin. Tomorrow was Mother's Day and we knew what was in those boxes. We pretended not to see what he had and wait for him to go upstairs. As soon as he left we ran to look in the refrigerator to admire our corsages. Mom's was always white because her mom had already gone to heaven. Mine was always red because my mom was alive and well. My dad adored my mom, and I always knew I was special because I was his little girl.

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely day with my family. My sweet husband does not carry on the tradition of the corsages, but he always buys me a beautiful, sweet card. Most of the family gathered for a backyard cookout. The guys cooked while the women sat on the front porch and sipped mimosas. I have been well blessed to have a father who thought I was a princess and a husband who treats me like queen.

Painting

I am discovering muscles today that I haven't noticed in a long time. I spent most of the week end helping my granddaughter paint and clean her new condo. To say she is excited about becoming a homeowner would be a great understatement. She is so thrilled with her first place. I loved being able to help her and to listen to her happy chatter all week end. Today though I am feeling my age. I am achy and tired and grateful that she has to work today so I can rest from a far busier than normal few days. I used to be able to paint, clean and take care of four small children without even thinking about being tired. No more.


I remember the first time I painted our kitchen. It was a beautiful spring day which the meant the kids could play outside. I opened the paint and began applying the paint to the walls. Of course the kids came in and wanted to help. I gave them all brushes and set them to painting with me. Their enthusiasm for home improvement didn't last very long and soon they were off to playing again, running in and out of the house with a gang of neighbor kids. I painted, fixed lunch, settled an assortment of minor squabbles, and had an assortment of neighbor kids as short term assistants. I climbed the ladder, moved the furniture, and finished in time to fix dinner. When my husband returned home from work he admired the paint and asked what was for dinner. It was just another day in the life then. Now it makes me tired to even think about so much activity.

God was very wise to give us children when we were young.

Seasons of Love

One of my favorite songs is from the musical Rent. “Seasons of Love” keeps repeating a phrase about the 525, 600 minutes that make up a year. Then it asks how do you a measure a year, and answers “In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee; In inches in laughter, In strife. Measure in love.” In others words it is our many everyday moments that add up to make a year.

Next month will be my birthday and I thought I would honor that day by remembering some of the 525,600 minutes multiplied by my almost seventy years that have my made up my life. I'll try to share some of the ordinary moments that have made me who I am today.

This is one of my earliest memories.

I woke up in the dim light of my room. Pulling myself up on the side of my crib I look around at the familiar objects. Turning my head to the right I see the closed door. I know my mother is on the other side of that door. I turn my head to the left. In front of the window there is a rocking chair with a pink and blue blanket draped across it's back. I am aware of the sound of the mourning doves. The birds sound so sad and lonely. I wonder why they are so sad, and suddenly I need my mother. I call for her and she comes and lifts me out of my bed. We sit together in the chair rocking slowly back and forth. My mother's lap is warm and safe.

There are days now when my life is sad and difficult. On those days I remember that warm safe place in my mother's arms and long for that place of peace again.

Shopping

My son called and asked if could help him shop for some new clothes today. Without any hesitation I agreed to his request. I knew this would be a fun shopping expedition.

I'm not quite sure what Paul's “Come to Jesus” moment was, but about a year ago he woke up one day and decided it was time to get serious about taking off the pounds he had packed on over the years. He joined a weight loss program with strict diet and a support group. He went the nutritionist and this time he really listened to the advice. He started exercising. He has slipped off the wagon a few times, but always just started back on his plan. He weighed 397 pounds last year. This morning he weighed 309 pounds. He has lost ten inches from his waist and his clothes were falling off of him.

Today he bought 2 pair of pants and four shirts. He is looking quite happy and handsome.

I am so very proud of him.

Discharged

Today was a lovely day.

This morning we went to Baltimore's Mercy Hospital to see the foot surgeon. I told him I was much better, but still not as good as I had hoped to be. After looking at X rays he said my foot had healed beautifully. He seemed quite happy with his handwork. He told me that I should continue to improve over the next six months and that there were no restrictions on my activity. There was no reason to return to see him and he discharged me.

Being officially discharged seemed like a good reason to celebrate so we went to the Inner Harbor. The parade of people passing by as we ate lunch was quite entertaining. I love people watching. Office workers walked alongside of tourists, sailors, young lovers, teenagers with baggy pants and young families. They were all out enjoying the sunshine and entertaining me.

To reward my husband for his months of tending to my needs I suggested that we visit the Maryland Science Center. He happily agreed to this suggestion. This man of mine absolutely loves science fair experiments, and this place is three stories crammed full of science fair experiments. Most of the school children were leaving when we arrived so it was not crowded. He got to push buttons, pull pulleys, crank handles and play science games all afternoon. He was in his own personal amusement park. It was wonderful to see him having so much fun.

Today was a lovely day.

Rehoboth

We had a wonderful time on our short trip to my very favorite beach. We arrived at Rehoboth about noon on Monday. The weather was spectacular, with blue sky and the temperature at 80 degrees. We ate outside on the balcony of the Green Turtle, enjoying the sunshine and the view of the beach. After lunch we joined the other cute elderly couples, holding hands while strolling on the boardwalk. Most of the shops were still closed for the season, but the candy stores were open selling salt water taffy and chocolate Easter bunnies. The Kohrs custard shop was open and we enjoyed an orange-vanilla twist cone, the flavor of the beach. We checked into our room at the Avenue Inn, luxury at off-season rates is a lovely thing. After a bit of a rest we drove over to Gordon's Pond, a wetland by another of our favorite places, Whiskey Beach. Walking along the trail we felt like we were very far from the rest of the world. The only sound was the wind, the birds, and the sound of the surf.

Tuesday we woke up to wind and rain. We spent the morning enjoying the warmth of our fireplace and a swim in the indoor pool. After lunch I had a massage. I think there must be a spa in heaven that gives heavenly messages all the time. Later in the afternoon we did a bit of shopping at the outlets.

Wednesday was sunny, but cool. We walked down to the beach and soaked up a final bit vacation time and headed home. It is always good to come home with a heart full of warm memories.

Progress

It has been almost eight months since my foot surgery last summer. There have been times when I thought I would never recover, but on this first day of April I can say that I now believe I will indeed recover.

Two months ago I limped into the physical therapy office leaning on a cane. Yesterday I was discharged from therapy and walked out without assistance. I have not completely achieved my goal of walking a mile, but I can walk a third of a mile. I am not yet without pain, but I no longer need pain medicine. I can't yet stand on just my left foot, but I can stand on my own two feet. The rest of my recovery will just take time and persistence. Last week I returned my wheelchair and donated my wonderful knee scooter to the Lions Club.

Next week we are going to the beach to find out how far I can walk on the boardwalk. Life is looking good here.

Lent

“Sh*t! Why did you bring pepperoni pizza. Don't you know it's Lent. I can't eat meat during Lent. D*mit! Now what am going to eat?” My co-worker stormed out of the lunch room as the young salesman who had bought us the pizza looked stunned and apologetic. The rest of us waited a moment and then thanked the generous salesman for the pizza and began to eat.

One of my good friends recently said,“Lent is always good for my diet. By giving up sweets for Lent I have managed to lose five pounds.” Is Lent just a forty day weight-loss program?

I am pretty sure neither one of the above stories are what the early church fathers had in mind when they came up with the idea of Lent. Neither one seems to reflect the love I see in Jesus, nor does either of them seem to show that their Lenten sacrifice makes them more spiritual or closer to God. Admittedly I have never made much effort at any particular discipline during Lent. I am a Christian, but the religious tradition of my childhood did not follow a liturgical year. The practice of one day or season as more holy than another was discouraged. Holy days were considered “denominational”, and therefore wrong. The strong anti-Lent attitude of the church of my childhood seems overly judgmental. Making others uncomfortable or bragging about the personal sacrifices you are making in the name of your religion is wrong.

It seems to me that Lent could be a very useful time of spiritual growth. I know several people who look upon Lent as a very important time of growth and reflection. I respect their faith and the reflection of Jesus I see in their life.

Is Lent a useful period of spiritual growth in your life?

The News

So how do you handle the news from around the world? I hear about wars, earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, genocide, economic woes and nasty political attacks. Is there anything I can do about any of those? There is so much bad news that is bombarding us all the time. Sometimes I just want to go hide in a cave and wait until it all goes away. Unfortunately I can't really hide for very long, nor is there very much I can do to solve the big, awful problems of the world.

Here is my strategy for dealing with world problems.

1. I limit watching the news. I just turn off the talking heads that keep yelling,”Disaster, disaster, disaster!”

2. I find moments of peace. I find these moments in times of prayer, in yoga, and in swimming back and forth in a pool and just feeling the water flowing around me.

3. I do something good for somebody else. One of my better skills is listening, and it seems to help people when I just sit and listen to their concerns.

4. I laugh. Laughter is a wonderful stress reducer. Just look around and find the humor in your life. I assure you that are some very funny things going on in our world.

What are some of the ways you handle world news? Do you have a funny story that will make me laugh out loud? Where do you find peace?

Another Day

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to one and all. May God's rich blessings fall on each of you today.

This day has always been celebrated with birthday cake in my family. My older brother and my younger son are both leprechauns born on Saint Patrick’s day. Happy birthday Bill. Happy birthday Paul.

It seems as I get older most of of the joy of my life comes from seeing the joy and excitement in the lives of my children and grandchildren. Last night my twenty year old granddaughter and her boyfriend came over to eat dinner with us. It was lovely to spend time with them and hear about the world as seen through their eyes. My oldest granddaughter is in the process of buying her first home. She is so excited and happy. Her excitement spills into my life and makes me smile. I seem to live vicariously through their lives. That is not all bad, but I need to find my own purpose and joy in life. I can't just sit and hope that one of the kids will have time to come by and visit and fill me up with the joys and concerns of their lives. I need to find a purpose of my own for each of the days remaining in my life.

This long recovery from foot surgery has been difficult. One of the hardest things was not being able to much of anything. For a long time I did nothing. I got comfortable doing nothing. I find joy now in each new accomplishment. I can again do most of the usual household chores. Who knew that doing laundry and cooking and cleaning up the kitchen would feel like such an accomplishment. I still can't walk far, but I can walk, and I will walk further. I am working hard at physical therapy and getting stronger. Still there are long periods of empty time that I mostly fill with reading and computer games. I need to find some activities now that make me feel useful to the world around me.

My question is now what? What shall I do with the rest of my life? What can I do that matters?

Dust to Dust

“From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.” These were the words I heard as ashes were placed on my forehead yesterday. One of the main lessons of Ash Wednesday is that we are mortal. We will die. Live life now in the abundance of God's grace, knowing that this life is just temporary. There will surely come a time when I no longer need this body of mine.

With this thought in mind yesterday my husband and I filled out the registration for for the Anatomic Gift Registry. Perhaps I will yet get to go to medical school. Part of the form was our death certificate. We filled in all the necessary information, leaving only the date of death and the cause of death blank. When this body is no longer useful to me it seems like a good idea to let it be used for research to possibly help someone else to live a more abundant life.

Filling out my own death certificate was indeed a statement that I am living each day ready to die. Are you prepared to die?

Christchurch

A few years ago we visited New Zealand. One of the most beautiful places we visited on our tour was the city of Christchurch. I recently read this blog, written by a woman who was in Christchurch the day of the horrible earthquake on February 23. Her story made me cry. Read about it here.

Music

I am not a musician. I don't know any music theory. When the orchestra plays I cannot tell one instrument from another. I just know I love music. Music reaches down into my soul and stirs all the emotions.

Last night we attended a performance of the Montgomery Philharmonic. We went because the world's greatest daughter-in-law, who is my favorite french horn player, was performing with the orchestra. Last night one of pieces was Concerto for Solo Tuba by Arild Plau. It was magnificent. I never had heard a tuba anywhere except as part of a marching band. This was something entirely different. I did not know a tuba could make such beautiful music. After the tuba solo the orchestra played Shostakovitch’s Symphony #5. I loved it. I sat there and just let the sound wash over me. The music invoked all sorts of images and emotions. There were dark and stormy moments and times of peace and beauty. It was just a wonderful evening.

When was the last time you sat back and just let the music wash over you and carry you to another place filled with beauty?

Julie

Fifty years ago today I knew that I had made the right choice when I accepted my beloved's marriage proposal.

We were in the mountains with his college fraternity and a bunch of friends. We had played in the snow all day and were sitting by the fire talking when the chaperon came looking for me. (Do college fraternity parties still have chaperons?) I had a phone call. I had left the phone number to the lodge with my mom in case of emergency. I was a bit nervous as I hurried to the office to take the call. I knew from the tone of mom's voice that she had good news. “Sue, you're an aunt. You have a niece. Everyone is fine. The baby is healthy. Her name is Julie.” This was indeed exciting and wonderful news. My brother and his wife had just become parents and I was an aunt. I had never been an aunt before. I was bubbling over with the joy of it all. I went running back down the stairs telling everyone that I had just become an aunt. People just glanced up and said that's nice. No one seemed to understand how grand this piece of news was to me. I finally found my beloved and shared my exciting, wonderful news. He hugged me and asked me to tell him everything. He wanted to know all the details. He listened and shared my excitement. He supposed that this meant he would become an uncle when we married. It was wonderful to know that this man would share the joy and excitement of my life.

I wanted to carry my baby niece down the aisle at my wedding. I thought she would be far better than a bouquet of flowers. My mom vetoed the idea.

Julie and I have spent all of her life on opposite coasts. We have never been able to spend great amounts of time together. When she was little I thought she was bright, beautiful and amazing. Now that she is grown with grown children of her own I know that she is bright, beautiful amazing.

Happy birthday Julie. Thank you for making me an aunt. I love you.

Yoga Trees

“Find a focal point. Preferably find something that's not moving. Find something to focus on while we work on our balance.”

Whenever my yoga instructor says these words I look out the window at the trees in the outside garden. It is winter and the trees are bare of leaves. Their trunks and branches are unhidden. I focus on these bare trees and notice their shape. Like people, no two trees are just alike. One particular tree in the middle appears strong and straight. It has somehow withstood the storms of winter with little change in it's climb upward. I admire this tree, but I think I am more like the tree just to it's right. This tree is not quite so sturdy looking. It started growing up straight and tall, but then some unknown storm made it bend toward one side. Soon it regained it's course and grew back toward center. The storms of life have made it bend back and forth as it continues it's journey toward the sky. It seems to me that finding balance in life, as in yoga, means bending back and forth in the storms of life as we continue our journey toward the sky.

Spring will soon be here covering the trees with new green leaves. It will be harder to see their strong trunks. I will know though, that under the beauty of spring there is a trunk, strong and true, reaching toward the sky.

I am looking forward to spring and seeing the trees in another season.

Birthdays

Yesterday my husband and our second daughter celebrated their mutual birthday at a family dinner. This year our son-in-law won the best gift award. He had just returned from a mission trip to Honduras and brought them each a shiny new Honduran machete.

Engaged

Last Friday night we were enjoying dinner with friends when my cell phone beeped. I looked and saw a picture had been sent to my phone. My cell phone is very old with a very small screen that makes it hard to see pictures very well. I could tell it was a picture of my daughter and her sweetheart. Why would they decide to send me a picture? I looked and could see happy smiles. I studied it a bit longer and noticed her left hand was being held up for the camera. There is only one reason to send your mom a picture displaying your left hand. I passed my phone around the table to see if someone with better eyes could see anything sparkling on her left hand. The picture was too small to see jewelry, but the smiles told the story. My daughter's sweetheart had finally popped the question. She had said yes. They are officially engaged. We are all delighted.

He took the whole family to a nice restaurant and proposed in front of her three teenagers and his teenage daughter. The kids were excited and happy. In this age of smart phones the kids had the news on facebook before they left the restaurant. Some news is just too exciting to keep to yourself.

Here's the picture they sent to me on Friday.

You'll Never Walk Alone

The senior chorale with which I sing has started rehearsing for our spring concert. This program is a collection of “inspirational” songs. I like them all. We are learning”Eye of the Tiger,” “The Man In the Mirror,” “You Lift Me Up,” and many more. The one song that is my favorite for this program is, “You'll Never Walk Alone.”

In 1956 I was fifteen years old. I dreamed about one day falling in love and was full of visions of romance. That was the year Rogers and Hammerstein's musical “Carousel” was made into a movie. I loved that movie. I believe I saw it at least ten times. In an age before DVDs and videotapes that meant I went to the movie theater. I would walk a block to the bus stop and pay my 25 cent fare and ride into town. Then I would walk to the theater and pay my 25 cent admission to see it yet again. Sometimes I went alone. Sometimes friends would come along with me. Sometimes we would sit through the film twice on the same afternoon. I thought Billy Bigalow was so handsome. I wished I was the beautiful Julie who won his heart. It was just so romantic. I would cry every time when Billy died. The song “You'll Never walk Alone” was so inspiring and I would cry every time I heard it. I did buy the record of the sound track and played the music over and over again on my phonograph. I knew every word to every song.

Last week when we started to sing this song in rehearsal for just a moment I felt like I was once again a starry-eyed fifteen year old girl.

What was a movie that captured your heart when you were a teenager?

PT

           It has been almost six months since my foot surgery. Yesterday I was finally able to begin physical therapy. My goal is to reduce the pain and swelling in my foot and to increase the strength and range of motion. . Right now I can walk for about five minutes before I need to rest. I need to do better than that. Actually my real goal is to be able to enjoy a long walk on the beach this summer. I want to just walk and enjoy the feel of the surf and the smell of the ocean without stopping to think about how much pain I am enduring. I want to walk through the woods and listen to birds. I want to walk the streets of the city and see wonderful new sights. I want to do all of that and not even think about my feet. My therapist said she thought those were all worthy and achievable goals. I am feeling very optimistic.

It is groundhog day. Phil did not see his shadow. Spring is coming and with spring is coming my recovery. Life is good.

Home Sweet Home

We had a wonderful time in sunny California, but are very happy to be home again in snowy Maryland. After a week of sunshine it felt very cold when we stepped off the airplane last night. There is no place sweeter than home after any trip away.

The wedding was beautiful. My niece and and her new husband were so cute and happy. The wedding was a perfect reflection of who they are. As a great-aunt my favorite moment was watching my brother, her Grandpa Joe, dance with his his granddaughter the bride. It was such a sweet moment in time.

It was wonderful to have time to visit with my two brothers. We don't get to see each other often. Long time readers of this blog remember my sister-in-law Jean who suffered in a severe head injury two years ago. She now lives in a rehab hospital and is totally paralyzed on one side. For the occasion of this wedding a specially equipped van was hired, a beautiful new dress was purchased, and Jean attended the wedding. Seeing her dressed up and happy filled us all with a little extra joy.

After the wedding we headed south and enjoyed a few days of vacation in San Diego. We visited zoo where we went on our honeymoon.

I don't think I have changed much in the last fifty years, but this time I toured the zoo in a wheelchair.

We took a tour boat and saw the sights of the San Diego harbor and soaked up the sun.

We rubbed shoulders with the rich while eating lunch on the sun deck of the posh Hotel Del Coronado. The sun reflecting of the ocean made the Pacific look like a sea of diamonds.

Now I look out the window at my snow covered yard. It is good to be home.

California

Early tomorrow morning we are leaving for California. This is a bit sooner than I I would have chosen to travel, but there a very good reasons for going now.

My great-niece is getting married on Saturday. I love weddings.

There will be a wonderful family reunion and time with people we seldom see. Living on opposite coasts does make frequent visits hard.

We can enjoy a trip down memory lane as we visit places important to our childhood.

I can put flowers on my folks graves. I don't why this seems so important to me. I know they are not in a cemetery. They still live in my heart and influence my everyday.

We get to go to the San Diego Zoo. Last time we were there was on our honeymoon almost fifty years ago.

My recovery from the foot surgery is not quite complete so I get to ride a wheelchair through the airport and get on the plane during pre-boarding. I will feel so special.

It is warm and sunny in southern California, with temperatures in the seventies. Snow is predicted in Maryland.

MLK Day

This morning I attended an interfaith community service to honor the work and legacy of Dr King. It was an inspiring service attended by young and old, black and white, Christian, Jewish and Muslim Americans. It was a time to reflect on victories against injustice and to look at all the work that lies before us. We came away grateful for the progress our nation has made and determined to continue to make our world a better place. My Bible verse for today is from Micah, chapter six,

And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Mic 6:8

Several years ago I drew this picture of two of my grandsons playing at the beach. When I look at these boys I am grateful for the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Unscrewed

I am home with one less screw in my foot. The procedure today took only about thirty minutes. The worst part was the ginormous needles the doc used for the nerve block to numb my foot. After that I could only feel some pressure and pulling. It was a weird feeling to feel the doctor unscrewing the screw in my foot. It is a little hard to walk tonight because my foot is still numb. This should be only a small bump on my road to recovery. I expect to back on track in a day or two.

Foot Update

I saw my foot surgeon this morning for my five month follow-up. He said the bones have healed well and everything looks good, EXCEPT one of the screws is little bit too long. The offending screw sticks into the joint space between the foot and the ankle and causes pain whenever I flex my foot. The screw has to come out. So tomorrow morning I head back to the OR to have it removed. The doctor assures me that this is a very minor procedure. The only reason it must be done in the OR is the need to see it with the X-ray so he knows just where to cut. He will make a small incision and just pull the bugger out. It will be done with only local anesthesia. I should be able to walk the next day. This has to be done before I can begin physical therapy to increase my strength and range of motion. I am actually pretty bummed about it. The doctor says it is a minor procedure, but anytime it is my body being cut it becomes major.

The Loyal Opposition

Yesterday's tragic shootings in Arizona have made me very sad. A mentally unstable young man killed several people out of a hatred for our government. Many believe that extremest, violent political rhetoric encouraged him to do this terrible thing.

Politics in our country has become very divisive. Loud voices from the extreme right and the extreme left provoke fear and hatred. Politicians with opposing views post pictures of their opponents in the cross-hairs of a rifle and encourage people to take aim. People with different political views are called awful names. Opposing points of view are labeled un-American. The name-calling and extremism have made it hard to even understand what another person is saying. I often want to just stick my head in the sand and ignore the whole mess. Then something like the shooting in Arizona happens and I can't ignore it anymore.

In this big country of ours there are obviously going to be different ideas on the best way to handle the complex problems of our time. We live in a big, diverse world with big complicated issues. There are no easy answers to these problems. My personal political view is on the liberal side. Many of my friends and family are far more conservative and have different ideas than mine on the best policy for a particular situation. None of us really have enough information to know what is truly the best choice. We have to talk to each other and discuss our ideas and our understanding and our goals. Sometimes we have to compromise and not get our way. We have to quit calling each other names. We can never encourage or condone violence.

In the English parliament the minority party often is referred to as the loyal opposition. I like this term. It indicated that there is disagreement about policy without questioning the fact of patriotism. Somehow we have to understand that good, patriotic people can disagree about issues without calling one another names. We have to respect each other and learn to listen to each other.

Can we please speak more softly and listen with open minds?

I love this country. It is my home.

God bless us all.

Chair Yoga

As a symbol and a promise of my continuing recovery my beloved and I signed up for a series of chair yoga sessions. I am loving this yoga class. My daughter and her good friend have opened a new yoga studio. One of their offerings is chair yoga which is perfect for those of us who have trouble standing up for for long periods. The studio is beautiful with big windows looking out into a lovely garden. I look forward to watching winter turn into spring through those windows. By the time time the garden is green and once again filled with flowers I expect to be walking and dancing with a grateful heart. For today I am content to stretch my arms and imagine I am one of the butterflies that decorate the room.

I love my yoga teacher . She is a beautiful soul.

Anticipation

For the past five months about all I have done is sit in a chair and let my foot heal. My sweet husband has done the shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry. In addition to that he has been a patient and loving nurse to me. I have gotten pretty good at being pampered while doing nothing. As the pain leaves and I begin to walk I am full of anticipation about beginning to do things again. Things that were just chores are things I really am looking forward to doing again.

I want to go grocery shopping. I want to see what is on sale and what looks good each week. I want to browse through the produce department and pick out fresh fruits and vegetables. I want to look at the meat and pick it out myself. I want to run into friends and neighbors and stop and chat for a few minutes. I should be able to do this in just a few more weeks. In the future I promise to appreciate the joy of grocery shopping.

I want to cook dinner and clean up my kitchen.

I want to go to the pool. I want to walk into the locker room and laugh with my friends as we change into our swim suits. I want to move through the water and feel my muscles getting stronger again. I want to soak in the hot tub and relax after a good swim.

I want to do the laundry.

When warm weather comes this spring I want to work in my yard. I want to plant flowers and pull weeds. I want to climb on a step ladder and trim the bushes. I promise not to complain about having to weed the garden.

I want to walk. I want to take long walks without needing to stop because of the pain. I want to walk the familiar streets of my neighborhood and strange, faraway streets where I have never walked before. I want to walk on the beach with the surf pounding in my ears. I want to walk through the woods and listen to the birds. I want to walk through the airport to the furthermost gate and fly again on a jet plane to some wonderful destination.

Recovery has been a long time coming, but it is is getting nearer each day. With each day's improvement I grow more excited about the things I can do.

I can hardly wait for all the wonderful things I will be able do in2011.