Orangutan and the Hound

Orangutan and the Hound It'll make you smile!

Shooting the Breeze'!

A dozen or so 'wise old birds' gathered at the usual watering place to brush up on safety techniques and learn anew the ways to avoid crashes. A couple of highlights would include the discussion that ensued about the many ways that life has changed since we were kids. It got me thinking about my childhood and playing in the park with friends and other kids from the surrounding neighborhood. There were the usual swings, slides, a huge sandbox, basketball courts, and tennis courts which were purposefully turned into ice skating rinks in the winter. I can vividly recall the smell of smouldering mittens as we huddled around that warm barrel of fire. I'm thinking that would never exist in today's litigious society. The pavilion type clubhouse was the center of attention in the summer when the talent show was organized to present to an audience of our siblings and parents. We also wove baskets and created colorful lanyards. I also remember taking tap dancing lessons for a bit. Lots of fun stuff to do.

There was a very tall iron maypole with about six chain link individual 'hands-on' bars. Everyone would grab one and begin to run in a circle and then as our feet came off the ground...we were flying. I haven't seen a maypole in 50 years!!

The strange thing within its borders was a real air plane that we climbed all over the wings, the engine areas, etc. It was like an old blue war plane. I can't imagine how it came to rest there, and now as I think about it, I am shaking my head and thinking it was relatively strange as I see it now.

One of the participants in the driving class whose name was Elsie raised her hand and shared...

"Speaking of seeing, my sister took her husband and his brand new glasses back to 'Lens Crafters' and began to complain. "

The clerk asked what the problem was, and her sister answered,

"These are brand new glasses and he still doesn't see things the way I do!!"

The twenty three of us laughed together as we shared the homemade brownies that were brought in on the second day by a very thoughtful baker among them.

I had to ask Leonard how tall he was because at 87 he was still a very tall glass of water!

"I am 6ft. 3 in. tall. I was 6 ft. 7in. tall but I have shrunk over the years!"

I wonder if I will see Leonard in three years for the next driver safety class. He would be 90 then and probably still sporting that very friendly smile and genuine sincerity in his eyes.The paperwork is done, and mailed to the two places that process the receipts.

The next class is the next two Saturday mornings from 9:30-12:30 at the local firehouse. It will include people who work during the week and have trouble finding a class to fit their working schedule.

Most likely there will be a different perspective to 'aggressive driving' and occasional 'road rage' that might occur getting to and from their jobs. There are 30 people signed up so far. Quite a robust flock that will gather together to 'shoot the breeze' while saving money on their car insurance. Better yet is that they may be saving lives...their own and possibly others, too.

Crashed!!

My computer kind of bit the dust last Saturday. Evidently, the hard drive crashed. I could only get it to open on 'safe mode' and that wasn't very accommodating! I couldn't get it to the Geek Squad until Monday, and I just got it back today. In between those days, I held another 2 day Safe Driving class, and met 22 quite interesting people. Stories and details to follow but I can tell you there were no crashes there!!. After driving for 40 minutes to get the computer, I had my regular volunteer hours at the hospital. I've tucked Flo in for the night, and the dog and cat are both already snoring. I am going to join the 'recharging' mode that looks so wonderfully refreshing. Til' then....zzzz-zzzzz-zzzz!

Highlight of the day...fun...both entering and exiting!!

The Christmas Tree Shoppe is a chain of stores that is not really about Christmas most of the time. It is more of a multi-seasonal presentation of neat things. I had the opportunity to explore the new treasures with a good friend. The sun was shining and it sure looked a lot like spring. For me, this was therapy...

As I approached the entrance to the store, a car pulled up to let someone off at the door. The passenger was an elderly woman who struggled to get out of the front seat as the driver gave her a helpful nudge from behind for momentum.

"Need a hand?"

I reached toward her and she grabbed my hand, then my arm, and reached back to retrieve the cane that she had brought with her. We put a shopping cart in front of her, she tossed the cane into it, thanked me repeatedly, and headed inside to begin her fun. I guess the driver knew to catch up with her inside. Very refreshing!!

Well, I found many things that I could not live without..[haha], and I headed for the checkout, and to meet my shopping buddy. As the cashier [surely in her fifties] scanned the items, one of the ceramic flower pots had a small ding on the saucer part. The cashier offered to go and get a new one as I continued to put the remainder of the stuff on the counter. I was feeling kind of bad for the woman in line after me, and I began to chat with her.

"You are a very patient woman" I said smiling at her friendly eyes and very wrinkly face.

"You have to be in this day and age."

I noticed that her fingernails had glittery nail polish on them and the pointer nail had a pink daisy. I complimented her fancy nails, and she added,

"I'll bet you wouldn't guess my age!!"

Not wanting to offend her spirit in any way, I asked her to tell me.

"I am 98!"

"You are an amazing person!" I did not share that my 99 year old Mom lived with me 'cause there was no way I was going to rain on her parade.

I paid my bill, and smiled at her to say how nice it was to meet her.

She was by herself sporting blue jeans and sneakers.

After I walked out the door, I had to go back and ask her what her name was or I'd always wonder. At 98, I figured it had to be an interesting one...turn of the century-unique.

"My name is Robetta. R-O-B-E-T-T-A. My father's name was Robert and my mother's name was Etta."

She was beautiful. And a bright spot in my day. A surprise.

I guess that was the 'Christmas" part of that March play day for me.

They're back!!!!

Yesterday...the side yard beyond mine suddenly came alive... like a set on a stage. Enter stage right, two ankle-high 'lightning bolt' little legs sprinted across the ground and then 'stopped on a dime'. As if on cue, a second 2 legged sprinter followed the first. Then a third. Then a fourth.

It was mesmerizing...a robin parade. What a welcome sight!

Act 2: finches! Haven't seen a one all winter. They're back!

The icing on the cake will be the first hummingbird. Wahoo! Ahhh...Mother Nature, we await the complete cast to take a bow at the curtain call.

PBS

Before I decided to call it a night, I channel-surfed my way upon a fascinating Public Broadcast Show that had to do with modern technology and its effects on/with the brain. It was 'Frontline'.Digital Nation. and it had to do with technology and how it has the potential to impact education, in both methods and supplies. For the people who refuse to become technologically open minded... they will be lost. I can empathize with their resistance because I was originally computer phobic. I am making progress.
Now it goes way beyond that with smart phones capable of doing so much with the APPS available for downloading. The Kindle might take a huge bite out of the publishing industry, and it stands to save trees and reduce back pressure from students not lugging heavy books in your backpack.
My, oh my, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore. And the wizard...probably on sabbatical.

Ahhh...sleep....altered states!

I love climbing into my bed at the end of each day. Pillow, blanket, Amazing Grace, a podcast under my pillow, the knowledge that Flo is tucked in complete with 2 tissues in her hand and a pair of rosary beads wound around her wrist and she is not alone.

And when the lights are out, I love the 'glow in the dark' stars that my brother affixed to the ceiling.

Calm, quiet, effortless.

And that is good.

Madison Square Garden

My son and his college friends went to Madison Square Garden to watch Syracuse University play in the Big East Tournament yesterday. Having never been there, it was an impromptu adventure where things fell miraculously into place for them as they arrived for The National Anthem. Oh, to be in your early thirties at a wonderful event with great friends!!! Two such memories immediately jump out for me.
The first was a Moody Blues Concert. On the way to an early morning college class, we heard an announcement on the radio that the tickets were going on sale at 10 AM in NYC. Damn! No way we could get there. And then Janet said the incredible words,

"I'll call my mother and ask her if she would go and pick up tickets for us."

"What? Are you kidding me? She would even entertain the notion to do that?"

I was NOT a believer in even an outside chance that this would possibly happen.

Well it did. Her mom [my adopted mom] went to the city and got those precious tickets. As we sat in our seats among thousands of fans, the lights dimmed and favorite song after favorite song resonated throughout the massive arena. It was absolutely the best!!

The other 'frozen in time' event in Madison Square Garden was also at a concert where many artists were featured. After Peter, Paul, and Mary concluded their part, Neil Young hopped up on stage and began his featured set. As he finished a song, a man went up to the edge of the stage and called Neil Young over to him to give him a message. Neil came back to the microphone and said,

"Hey people...the war is over. It has finally ended."

The entire audience stood up and applauded for 20 minutes. And as you looked around the arena, out of the relative darkness, came light one by one as people held a flame in the air [from a lighter]. It was an amazing experience. Can't really put it into words effectively.

And here it is 35+ years later, and my son says,

"Hey Mom...You've been to Madison Square Garden, haven't you?"

"Oh yeah! On more than one occasion."

Memories of a former life for me...in my twenties...in the 70's...in the 'Garden'.

Day 3...waiting to exhale...

My day started at 5 AM when I heard strange sleeping sounds coming from Flo. Thinking that maybe she was having a bad dream, I went to her bedside to try to wake her up. Well, she must have been in one of her 'spells' and I have learned over time that it is less stressful for her if she awakens on her own. It is counterproductive to get loud calling her name. I know this. So I turned on the TV, and news was breaking about the earthquake in Japan with tsunami discussions happening as to when and where. Good Lord...I thought about my cyber friends in Hawaii as well as those on the west coast of the mainland. Exhale...ohmmm.~!

I volunteered at the hospital from 11 to 1:30, and when I got home, Nic said that Flo had another occurrence...another spell? And in the afternoon...a third time when I couldn't bring her into the real world. Kind of scary, yet it has happened before. [2 trips to the ER in the past]

Then, I asked her if she wanted a drink. She said yes, and she had a healthy amount of cranberry juice followed by a small dish of beef goulash and rice pudding topped with an Oreo cookie. I'm thinking...okay Flo! She went to bed at 7 PM. Exhale...ohmmm.

Then I watched Syracuse Univ play UConn at Madison Square Garden in the Big East Tournament at 7 PM. It ended in a tie, and here we go again...overtime! Two years ago, these very same two teams played a game that lasted 3 hours for 6....that is 'SIX' overtimes and SU finally won at 1:30 in the morning. Tonight UConn won this time after only one overtime.. What a game, and I knew my son was in the crowd, and my brother in NJ and I were texting back and forth, and Facebook friends were commenting as the game went on. Whew! Waiting to exhale...ohmmmm!

I am pooped. I will check on Mom, and then I am hopping into bed.

Waiting to exhale. Ohmmmm.

Night-All!

ZZ''ZZZ'Z'Z'Z'Z'Z'Z

Day 2: Unbelievable

I am astounded with the way that the governor of Wisconsin has engineered his plan to get what he wanted. It's like fiction...

What's next? I think that the United States of America are not so united anymore...

Day 1...Changes

My goal is to post daily for 40 days with the hope that something will be helpful in someway to somebody. Subtitle: Procrastination on hold!!

Day 1: Changes

My Jersey high school friend of 45 years [we must have been womb-mates 'cause I don't think I am even that old] is signing the paperwork for the 'closing on the sale of her house'. Since she has lived there for 25 years, looking back at all of the changes that have occurred in that quarter-century...yowser! Even though I moved to NY, thankfully our bond has always remained tight.

It is a blessing that we do not know what is in our future because we might not believe some of the scenarios that present themselves. We would shudder at the inequality/fairness of life relative to our place in the universe. Some actions are planned by us, and some are a kind of fate or destiny.

We change...whether we want to or not. We forge our way on through happy, sad, confident, scared, doubting, sick and tired..

When in the process of a divorce, my response to 'How are you doing?... was :

"I'm reeling, Lord, but I'm still standing."

Now as I years have gone by, my answer to the same question is..."Been better, been worse."

Janet leaves a home that she and her sister bought together and changed all kings of things within, collected memorabilia. and planted things, sheltered dogs and cats, and raised their niece with them from the age of 3 until college years. Being one of nine children, there were many family gatherings and holiday parties at this big house. But that great big house in NJ was costly in taxes and maintenance...too much for one person alone. Her beautiful souled sister passed through to a higher place at the age of 52. It was heartbreaking.

And so things will change again. Different opportunities, new possibilities, change in location, new beginning to this part of her life....and hence...to mine. Because she is among the places in my heart that are 'home' for me. Similar to why I bought a water dish for Gracie[my dog] that says, "Home is where your dog is!"

Home is a state of mind...

Paused

I have had blog block...nothing that I feel is very new or compelling to write about, and so I don't write. It's the weekend, and that is the hardest part of the week for me. There are always good things to be thankful about, and yet I feel like life has hit the 'pause' button for me. I hesitate to even state this as I realize that in a flash... things can change where I would wish for that paused state. There is no purpose in listing the 'less than wonderful' situations or the 'I wish that...' comparisons in life. By 7 PM I will feel better, and I know that.

And there you have it.

Melo!

You are looking at Melo's sweetest fan. She has followed his smile from the time he played basketball for Syracuse University and the team won the NCAA Championship. Flo has been in the Carrier Dome and now that he is back in New York shooting 3 pointers with the New York Knicks, we will see more of his games on TV.

My brother and nephew sent Melo's Knicks shirt in the mail, and it was a perfect surprise for the Matriarch of Carmelo Anthony's Fan Club. It's a perfect gift, a perfect fit, and...

"Let the games begin!