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

Passages of Grief from the drive thru window

Today I went thru the drive thru to get something to drink. the young man said, ” hi how are you?”  I thought to myself, should I say it or not? Shall I shock the pants off of him. You know this is the generic response we get in public all the time. 

 So I said, ” well today is much better than yesterday,” he said, why is that?  I said, well my sister died yesterday and I leaked like a garden hose all day long and felt terrible.  He said, ” well she is in a much better place now.” I said, ” well, we both won’t know that until we get there also.”  He handed me my drink and said, ” here is something for your dehydration.” He looked very surprised by my answer, and to ease his strain I said yes, “I know she is at peace now” and drove away. I wondered if he will think about saying that again to someone else.  Better not say it if you don’t want the answer. 

//later sunny

4 Moons & a angel

I awoke about 11:00 from a sound sleep  and I looked out the window only to see not just one full moon but because of the large living room glass windows I saw four. Four moons were completely lined up in the night sky.  I new it had already happened. I knew I would have to make the call now. So I walked into the kitchen and saw the red message light blinking on the phone. I never heard the phone ring I was sleeping so deep. I was dreaming of you. The message was just what I thought. There it was straight forward with no pauses. I listened to it twice…My sister passed away during the world series and on a full moon with love all around her, with the economy in the toilet, a war still going on. This was the end of the chapter for me. Luv, Luv, kiss, kiss, sis…I’ve been saying goodbye to you for six years now. They seemed like six long years but they really happened just with a blink of  the eye and a kiss to the forehead. Just like that she was gone. I cried for awhile then composed myself and finally made the dreaded call. Somehow inside I wish you could have made the call yourself. I know that is selfish .  Which I know sounds crazy but I have been tired for so long. I told you goodbye earlier in the day and I said ” yes, now you go take a really nice, long,  sleep so you feel better soon”" as I bit my lip so I would not cry. Then I said, you have no worries now, I can take care of everything for you, please don’t be afraid either because others are waiting to hold your hand and so you did just what I said. Sweet dreams…angel

later///sunny

Mem….ory Matters

1. Spend time together
2. Do what brings you joy
3. Laugh often
4. Eat ice cream
5. Hold hands
6. Paint fingernails
7. Massage tight shoulders
8. Tweeze brows
9. Go shopping
10. Walk…and walk
11. Sing familiar songs
12. Play music
13. Do large puzzles together
14. Exercise the body, it’s good for the mind
15. Don’t correct.. re-direct instead
16. Look for signs of boredom (twisting hair, picking at things)
17. Toilet frequently
18. Go to the Art Gallery
19. Play wtih clay
20.. Color with crayons
21. Paint
22. Write a poem together
23. Just be quiet together
24. Smile often

25. play golf

26. watch favorite shows

27.  Get outside

28.  Garden – smell the flowers

29.  Pet a dog

30.  Feed a fish

31. Eat popcorn with dark chocolate chips

32. Hold a baby

33. Look at photographs

34.  Cook together when possible

35.  Fold clothes

36.  Set the table

Elderly Rock Bands

My grandson has learned the word “elderly” in school this week. And so I said, “what does that really mean? ” He said, “you know older people in a rock band.”  I laughed and so we used the word elderly many times during the day.  Each time I winked at him until he finally said, ” you know elderly is either… young old or old …old and you are young old!  And I said, yeah, and I don’t have a rock band!

/later elderly sunny

Dubrovnik – sweet tomatoes, olive oil and more….

I have to say that God has kissed the land in Croatia.   My recent summer travels took me there with many blessings.  I traveled to Split to see the city  & Dicletians Palace  and road side cafes, I tasted fresh fish slathered in garlic and olive oil and herbs on a grill, black rice with octopus to savor, lovely wines and fresh fruits.  In  Dubrovnik we swam in the beautiful jewel toned Adriatic sea coastline, found a shopping mall ( with 6 stores) savored homemade wine and smoked beef,  read the local paper. Most homes I visited actually do have satellite t.v. and they are very up to date on what is going on in the US and abroad.  I tasted homemade bread (from their own wheat farms) and delicious strong cheese in the rural area of Crnac.  Cheese just as my grandfather used to make on his farm.  I went to Mostar to trace my roots and meet new family.  I stood by huge sunflowers and smelled the earth.   I went to Bosnia and Herzegovina and saw the University and Hospital in Mostar with its Mediterreans climate.  I walked on cobble stone streets older than me.  I met another “sister” and attended a traditional “Croatian” wedding that lasted for three days.  I traveled to the religious site of  Lady of Medugorje’.  We traveled to the Left Bank of Neretva with its oriental look, cobble stones streets, tapestry, brass works. Explored the culture and saw the divers off the famous “Old Bridge”  that has been rebuilt with beautiful stone work  since the war. I heard the call to worship in the distant singing from the neighboring Mosques.  The Munks allowed me to visit their Monestary to  see the stained glass windows that remain un-hurt from the war.  I prayed peacefully in the courtyard which is now used for weddings. I saw the clock tower and young women with aging faces trying to feed their hungry children.  I loved the hand made lace and traditional lavendar oil.  I could smell the apple chips in the tobacco bars as the scent lifted the streets we walked on way into the night.  Outside of Mostar, the roadside farmer stands, loaded with grapes the size of quarters, tomatoes that actually taste like a tomato, watermelon – juicy and ripe, olive oil that has flavor, sweet purple plums the size of baseballs and kindness from others that I will never forget.  Parking can be a challenge, but the highways are new, repaired and wonderful. The view is breath taking. The walled-city of Dubrovnik beyond it massive tourists is magnificient and meant to be savored on the patio of the Hilton and dusk with your loved ones and candlelight dinner for two. I met a lovely artist and purchased some art – thank you Batinic’ it graces my family room wall.  And even on the hotest day in the southwest I can look at the sea. Mostar is very hot in the summer and very humid. Omis is on the coast is warm during the day but cool at night. Everyone goes to the beaches young and old. Women of all sizes wear bikinis!  They don’t have a body image disturbance like we do in the US.  The mountains are beautiful and the granite is gorgeous. The airlines were terrrific and we managed to get around for two weeks with minimal croatian! This country is open for tourists and a must go see  if you decide to live in the planet instead of just on it! There many islands to explore along the Adriac Coast.  Venice is a 5 hour boat ride away. Go in the spring or fall if you can’t take the heat. 

Bog/Sunny 

Today’s blessing goes out to my new “extended singing family” they have touched my heart and I will never forget.

Lost days of summer …..or not!

I know it has been awhile. I had a really busy summer. Traveling some, tending to ill family members and supporting the needs of others, using my hands to do the work that is much needed. They are a gift after all to do the work of life. So my summer has ended and time to get organized again for the full, fall season ahead.

Today’s blessing goes out to that 92 yrs. young who loves to jitterbug on a weekly basis with a “gentleman friend” that she has met. Well she does not look or act her age and dresses like a model.  I think there is something to this dancing with the stars in your eyes after the age of 90 to keep things “moving” as she put it this am, prior to communion and  singing of amazing grace.

So this blessing goes out to all the Jitterbugger’s  in the world. Keep it up.

/later  Sunny

Hvala memories

We have a new person in our group that belches quite loudly. I am not sure but he does not seem to control his “air”. WE are all just pleased it comes out of his mouth instead of another area!  Yesterdays memory suggestion was;  tell me about the first car you drove when you were a teenager. The responses were excellent. Another question I added was what is your favorite dessert. Those ranged from butter brickle ice cream to cherry pie to root beer floats. WE closed with what is your favorite passage in the bible.  These are the memories that need to be shared and written down because when they describe this memory they always smile. At that is worth waiting for even on the hardest of days.
/ later sunny

Packing your parachute

I have a very good friend who is very ill. Lately, many around me seem to be very ill. Any how I try to write him positive thoughts instead of tragedy. All we need to do is read the newspaper or check the t.v. and we get enough of that on our own. And so this week I ended his note, “don’t forget to pack your own parachute.” I do think someone famous said this and I don’t know whom but I remember it from the past. So I can’t take credit for it at all. But it is really great advice. We can only really depend on ourselves in life. Any other help you receive from someone else is indeed a “true gift”. This blessing goes out to the guy who worked hard his entire life, was never completely understood by others, but did have a warm heart.
/later…sunny

Front Porch Swing

I met a smiling, person today sitting on the front porch swing. Blessings go out to him and his wife as he just had stem cell transplant to cure his lymphoma.  They were his own. So it seems now that people are harvesting their own stem cells to be frozen and possibly used to cure ourselves at a later date.

Go figure!

/sunny

3 cups of tea

I am reading on the Kindel Three Cups of Tea. It is great so far and I give it 5 carrots. My next novel will be The Crossing by Cormac.