LEAPing thru the hills and valleys.

It is Leap Day:  February 29th, 2012.  Flo and I are sitting in the living room after  accepting the fact at 6 AM that there would be no sleeping in the near future.  This is one part of Mom's roller coaster through her 100th year of life. She sees groups of people and thinks there are too many here in this small house.  And she also hears voices, and ...someone is painting!
Yet she looks at the calendar and sees that Feb 29th is the last day of the month and she needs to go to the bank for some money.  Last night Flo talked [again] about the subject of her paying room and board to stay here saying, "You can't live somewhere for nothing!" So I will go and get her some money [$50]from her account, give it to her, she'll give it back to me, and then I will put it back in her wallet.
There are remarkably sane moments/days, and then out of the blue there are the unexpected [often humorous] encounters like this one: 
From the darkness of the bedroom that we share I hear her ask, "Where is the bathroom around here?"
I get out of my bed, turn on the light, and head to her  bedside to bring her to the bathroom.  She looks at me and says, "You look familiar!"
There are new seasons of reality TV shows that we draw names of contestants to cheer on and maybe, win the pool for American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and Survivor.  Mom is right on top of that situation and yet as interested as she is in the drama, she is well known for,
" Just show me the money!!"
The next February 29th will be in 2016.  I wonder what will be on the horizon at that time on the planet, as well as in my own little corner of the world.

Attitude is Power

P O W E R

"I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the MOMENT.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather.  AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I possess tremendous power to make SOMEONE'S life miserable or joyous . I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.  I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or deescalated and that PERSON humanized or dehumanized.
                        Haim Ginott [as edited by Mare because I think it relates to everyone and every situation....Think about it.]

Here is the original quote which we received as teachers, and I found it to be so profound that I kept it by my desk to remind myself to be aware of 'POWER'...

Flowers for the Sleep Deprived!

These are miniature roses.  Red...pink...white...On Friday, they arrived via UPS from my brother, who will be visiting next week.  There are several flowers in bloom, and many more flowers in bud, and when they get planted outdoors surely will continue to provide smiles.  Very thoughtful and a pleasant surprise.  Thank you, Paul.

A Teacher [ Look Back] Moment...

On Monday, we took my mom to the doctor as a preventative measure when all of her cold symptoms started the 'bronchitis is next' syndrome. While we were in the room awaiting the arrival of the doctor, I found myself trying to occupy her mind for the 5-10 minutes that I knew we would be waiting.  Without even thinking, I began to 'interview her' with questions the way that I did in the classroom.  The kids always loved it, and since there was always the 'pass on that one' option, it was no stress entertainment while passing some time.  Here are [100 year old] Flo's answers:
a favorite flower: a rose
a favorite color: pink
a song title:  Star Spangled Banner
a movie star: Clara Bo
a singer: Enrico Caruso...[Be My Love!!!}
good food: spaghetti and meatballs
a person [living OR already passed] with whom you would like to have lunch with/ talk with: probably my mother
three words that describe you: nice, kind, polite
if you could go anywhere in the world: heaven [sigh~]

I had more prompts in my head, and then...there appeared the doc.  The whole scenario reminded me of former times interacting with the kids and I kind of had a twinge where I missed it...the fun parts of the classroom and the kids.  Funny how sometimes 100 is a lot like 10.

A generic question for you:
If you could trade places with someone for a day...who might that be and why?

Comfort

Do you have articles of clothing that you just refuse to get rid of because they are so darn comfortable?  I have three...a Ziggy teeshirt that feels so soft that it is in a league of its own.  It has an assortment of stains that don't come out [at least 10 years old] and so I wear it as a nightshirt.The second 'gem' is a floral short sleeved cotton dress that is kind of my official ' Relax...you're home and you can chill out in whatever makes you happy!!' Generally these two favorites do not go out in public.
The third [again more than 15 years old] is a soothing royal blue valour long sleeved pullover. The common thread with this cherished friend is again its soft touch.  Sweaters and tops have come and gone, but this one has never made it in the pile 'to donate '.  Just can't do it.  Nope.
In chatting with a friend, she told me she had a pair of thin leotard-like pants that was her favorite.  Somehow a couple of splashes of bleach happened onto them while in the wash. Did she throw them out?  Nu-uh.  Some things have the 'it' factor.   And beauty is in the eye of the beholder...or the way it makes you feel.
So, what do you keep because...well...'cause you want to regardless of the fact that it has seen better days. Fess up.