no phone calls

Today I had some quiet time. You know some silence in between all the chaos and busyness of life. And I missed you calling me on the phone. We laughed about anything and everything and had to leave the room to relieve ourselves only to return laughing one more time. I miss that.  I remember the time you surprised me and called me on my birthday and well you admitted that someone else dialed for you. I didn’t care, it was you calling…me.

/later

sunny

She’s little and she looks down

Nothing lifts your spirits more than spending time with little kids and watch how they see the world. We always look straight ahead or up or to the side. Well they look down …very close to the ground. I saw a sweet young thing squat down while we were in the forest and really look down at a bug.  She found it fascinating. She said, ” come on down with me and take a look at this” and I said, ” well if my knee didn’t hurt so bad I would” but please…. take your time, we’ve got lot’s of time” for you to see the world. She said, ” okay nanna”.

 

later…sunny

Summer’s Hike N Seek and Monopoly

We used to kid each other that we don’t have to worry about going to h—————–because living in this hot state is just like it already! Sad, bad joke but very true. It is extremely warm. The air conditioner rep on his recent visit out said,” every time you turn on the A/C you are adding to global warming.”  I found that an odd comment since he is in the business of repairing and selling these units. I wondered if he was related to Mr. Alley Gorey . 

As kids we always had swamp coolers. During the monsoon months it was very cool at night but sticky during the day. Our late Grandpa had a sleeping house with screened in porch like building.  Each pre-summer season I used to hike onto a step stool and talk into it as it blow- ed directly into my face. Probably not a very smart or safe thing to do as a kid. I had enough since to not stick my fingers into it. Once when it was turned off the house cat climbed into it and well we heard a screech when the motor slowly began to warm up.  By luck or one of her nine lives she was saved again. She eventually used up all those nine lives. 

Each summer I sat on my white metal stool and handed dad the tools to put in the new mess screens into the cooler . We would scrub off all the mildew and rust and aging patina with a wire brush.  I was working with dad and didn’t mind at all. We managed to make it all new and shiney for the summer season.  I especially like to paint the silver metallic paint all over it.  Being very careful not to drip any on the just poured concrete pathway at the back of the house.  Sis and I  spent most summers swimming at the country club pool with our friends, eating juicy hamburgers & salty french fries and bottled RC Cola. We were clogging our arteries early.  I still swim, daily as a matter of fact.

Ahhhh…….those were the days, when time stood still, when you had a three day Monopoly tournament or checkers game going while sipping lemonaide and eating sweet sugar cookies or playing hide and seek with the neighbor kids till dusk or when mom called us in from the front yard.

/later…sunny

Dancing summer clouds – the memory

Don’t forget to look up sometimes as the clouds can be really fab.  As an artist it is hard to honestly completely duplicate them without doing it on site or with a photo.  They are not just white! I was thinking about how many times we get so caught up in life that we do forget to look up instead of down or straight ahead.   Remember as kids how we would lay down in the grass on a hot summer day and watch the clouds go by! I remember how the grass the dirt smelled after a summer rain.  That is when ice cream really tasted sweet, and we had so much energy that we could just bust at the seems. Where has the energy gone now?  Mother’s called their kids in from playing outside for dinner time  from front porches without beepers, cell phones or ipods, answering machines etc…. 

I guess I am getting old.

Later, sunny

Best advice of the week

I meet new friends where ever I go. In lines, shopping, waiting at appointments, painting in a park.  I don’t know if I have the “face” for it or not. But I am always surprised how others spill their guts to me.  They must feel safe with me.  Anyhow, this past week while traveling the best advice I received was, ” don’t forget to live a little each day”! Why do we need to be reminded of this? Is it out schedules, our hectic lives, our busy-ness in life. This was super advice and I wish I had made that up. So this goes out to the guy that once worked at EFH and now retired.

 So don’t forget to live a little this week and every day after that. After all our time goes very quickly.

 

/later sunny

Sidewalk Clown or such

Just back from the little town in the southwest called Prescott. Downtown has changed somewhat. But I did enjoy seeing the cowboy wranglers out on Saturday while I drank my Latte and read in the big town square. I had to grab my hot pink umbrella because it sort of down poured all over everyone and just about ruined the Porsche car show. They frantically went to wipe down their cars after each speck of rain.  The weather was fab with afternoon showers each and every day. Well the first of the week I went down to Whiskey Row to some of my fav. galleries and shops being the Arteest that I am. I have to say that I was hesitant at time to enter such shops as these strange looking individual all in black and they were outside with their faces painted red/green/ white and black and had spikes coming out of their foreheads. Well, honestely it made me wonder just about their poor moms. Do you suppose it makes them proud?  Anyhow I noticed that by the weekend these scraggly folks were no longer lining the streets. So perhaps they were moved out. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy artistic expression and freedom, but not scaring the living daylights out of the tourists and the locals. So this one goes out to the clown that made smooching catcall noises at the ladies when they walked down the street. Yes , we did notice him, yes we thought he was sad and not funny at all, and wanted to give him a rehab phone number or something. However, if that was the attention he was seeking we noticed. But more than that, he needs a really good haircut and facial. BTW check out De Lovely spa, they do a nice face job there.

//later sunny

Good Read

“Brooklyn” I read it on a Sunday. I could not put it down. I give it all my carrots. later…sunny

Florence – Read

Reading – The Monster of Florence on my kindle. Not sure yet, it is very detailed of court cases etc. Sort of not what I expected. Very gruesome in some cases. But will give it an okay until I finish this read.

Mr. AD is alive and well in the southwest

I viewed the HBO Alz. Project recently. I have only a few words to say about  this project.  It was more like the ” crying project”.  I did get the Kleenex out and I thought I was much stronger than that.  I rarely leak anymore when I see my sis.  I used to leak like crazy. It was when I saw how it affected the little kids. Especially when they said, ” when grandma acts like that remember its the disease talking to you and not grandma.”  Well what the kid sees is physical grandma and I doubt they comprehend blaming the disease but they do comprehend the sadness that comes with having their feelings hurt from grandma’s actions or lack of actions…… I have said that many times and now I realize that it sound beyond ridiculous to say this to a child. I think what I will say next time is, ” you see your grandma’s brain is very sick and it makes her talk like this to you” they might understand that better.  You see I have been at this scene for some time now ( going on 8 years) . I always like the science part of the program. I didn’t realize that we have only been researching Mr. A for 25 years.  I don’t feel like it has advance much as it has not helped my sis at all.   I guess the best is yet to come on this. I am waiting for some big break thru to happen. She is still here in the body but not in the living. Her little mind left her bod some time ago. So I have not had my sister for some time.  So we have already been grieving and have grieved. I did not feel hope ful at all like I think they wished to send this message to the public. It is alot like many other diseases the ending of the story is just not that great. In the future I doubt I will view anything else like this again. I want something to lift me up and not pull me back down and that is what Mr. A does on a daily basis.  You never get over the hurt of when someone forgets you. I don’t care how strong you claim you are. It hurts.  And they are correct for sure… you really need to love the person you care for as a caregiver or you won’t be able to do this for very long.

Prayers go up and blessings do come down sometimes. 

later/ sunny

Daily Struggles

This goes out to the folks who suffer from  MI or SMI and those addicted to things in their own lives.  There is  such social stigma that follows these individuals that it often holds them back from living a complete life. It is know wonder since the world can be very prejudice in that sorrowful way. It is due to lack of education and knowledge on the subject matter.  There are more people like this than you know.  They are out in the public trying to live and get along just like you and I.  It is not catching if anyone is concerned with that and it does not mean they are not loving people either because I have seen first hand that they are.  They struggle day to day even with fancy meds.  Some feel they are just experimented on by their Physicans. Let’s send out a silent blessing to everyone suffering from any affliction that holds them back in life. 

/later Sunny

Art Class – Experimental

Had a great turn out for “Experimental Art Class” at the center. Our time went quickly and then the class went out into the gallery and viewed the Cinco De Mayo show.   Interesting turn out.  We had a great time making and seeing Art. Thanks to Betty for assisting me for the day.

 

Later, Sunny