Memoirs

How blessed am I

jo — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:52:18 +0000

How blessed am I to live in this neighborhood!

Last spring I walked almost every morning for about half an hour. I
started out easy but met my goal of walking to Bellwood Lake which is
in our development. I reached my goal and continued the walk to the
lake and then to Bell Rd. before returning home.
This routine enabled me to dance, dance, dance at my grandson,
Matt’s, wedding in N.C. the end of July. I had a ball and a wonderful
wonderful time. However, it was extremely hot there so there was
little walking in the sun. We had a very hot August followed by a
very rainy September and I procrastinated putting my walking on hold.
Now, I am looking forward to being with loved ones in Gainesville for
Thanksgiving weekend and need to rebuild my stamina to keep up with
the activities. Hopefully, Claire and Ian’s twins will be around six
weeks old and a joy to hold. Yvonne and I are flying so as to have
more time with loved ones – son, Wes, daughter-in-love, Deb, Claire,
Ian, Malik, Leila, grandson, Matt and granddaughter-in-love, Katie.
Hopefully, will get to see Matt’s and Katie’s good friend, Chris, his
wife, Jessica and their daughter, Ella (I danced with him at the
reception and Ella was the adorable flower girl.) When it was time to
leave, my son, Wes went for the car and Jessica thoughtfully guided me
through a grove of saplings in the gathering dusk to meet him.
So, this week has been absolutely beautiful, especially for October!
Temperatures during the days in the seventies and the nights no lower
than fifty. Still, I put off getting back to walking. Well, this
morning, I finally bit the bullet and upon waking dressed in
comfortable clothes and started out. I had gone about a block and a
half when my neighbor, Fran, came walking too because she said, “There
goes Jo. If she is walking, I should too.” We hugged and chatted
for quite a while. I shared about the wedding and the twins and she
shared about the preparations for her daughter, Emily’s wedding. Love
her; hugged and she went her way and I continued on toward home.
Walked to Bell and as I was returning, met other neighbors, little
Asher, who is couple months older than Jaydin, his dad, Eric and
mother, Kelly walking their dogs and we exchanged greetings and a bit
of talk. I had walked past my house and turned around when George
and Liz (neighbors I have known for over thirty years) stopped to
tease me about chatting with Fran. I told them that “my” twins will
be arriving soon. They have five year old twins (boy and a girl) and
were on their way to watch them play soccer.

A Roller Coaster Ride

jo — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:44:01 +0000

My life seems to be a roller coaster ride through a three ring circus!
Not complaining but lovin’ it! And, that is my excuse for being unable
to add to my blog. I have decided that since this is the last day in
May, I will get a good summer start and enter some thoughts. Often, in
my life, what seems to be a lemon experience ends up being a wonderful
opportunity to make lemonade. One recent example is the weeks of rain
we have had in northeast Ohio. In fact, seems like we have had months
of rain. Not steady but in May many days of rain followed by sunshine
or sunshine followed by rain. Though many people dislike rain, I have
always loved it. It seems so soothing and also cleansing as it keeps
us from dashing madly to and fro and gives us an opportunity to
meditate and rebuild our spirits. Even the thunder storms show the
power and grandeur of God especially when lightning streaks across the
night sky.
All of this rain has actually been a blessing to me. My daughter
Yvonne and my son Wes surprised me with a Mother’s Day gift of two
apple trees!! I had been buying apples to toss across my back yard and
watch the deer dining on them without buying apples. My neighbor,
Marilyn, has an apple tree that the deer love and I often envied her.
Well, with my own trees, I will be able to enjoy the deer, too. Yvonne
preferred a Cinnamon Spice apple tree but left the decision up to me.
When Wes heard that she planned to buy a tree, he said he would send
money if she would buy one for me from him! I agreed the Cinnamon
Spice sounds intriguing and I love Honey Crisp so the day before
Mother’s Day, Yvonne said she wanted to go somewhere with me, and she
drove my car (a CRV with lots of room to carry stuff) to Breezewood
Gardens in Bainbridge. There I picked out the trees that I liked and
they loaded them in my car. My neighbor is contracted to mow my lawn
and he volunteered to plant them! Well, it rained and rained and
rained which delayed the planting but also made it unnecessary for me
to water the trees in their pots! The sunshine was welcome and that
helped to keep them healthy. Eric was away one week and his wife said
she would do it but the rain made that impossible so Eric came over
this morning and very quickly planted them on the first terrace behind
the house where we had marked where we thought they would grow best
and where not only the deer but I could access the apples. He did a
great job and I am so grateful to have such loving, caring people in
my life.

Where did June go?

jo — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:03:07 +0000

It does not seem possible that I have been home from Florida for a month! It also amazes me that the Fourth of July holiday weekend is fast approaching! The weather has been so lovely — seventies with light breeze during the day and down to low sixties in the evening and during the night. So pleasant for the walks I have been taking and the cool nights are so good for sleeping! Seems more like early spring than summer.

Because of this beautiful weather, I have been able to eat breakfast, lunch and even dinner on my front porch. I love to sit so close to the two clumps of maple trees and watch a variety of birds flit back and forth. I am always happy to see them drink out of the birdbath. They have bathed in it but not lately. I loved to watch the birds bathe in the birdbath in Wes and Deb’s yard and wish more birds liked mine. They did not even drink from it after the last storm; when I checked, I found that the water had leaves and debris in it so I cleaned it out and gave them fresh water. So, a few more than been drinking.

Since Monday, I have been taking short walks before breakfast, before lunch and before dinner. At first looked upon them as necessary exercise but each day enjoy them more. Yesterday and today saw blue birds – not the noisy Jays but dear little blue birds. Think a neighbor down the street has a blue bird house in their yard.

I love this time of year when the fields have been plowed; when corn is growing; many Amish food stands with fresh vegetables. It is always so much fun to go to Middlefield with daughter in law, Tina and my sister, Cheryl. We make a day of it with several stops along the way.

Of course, this month has had its usual crush of activities. Most recently, got an e-check on my car and passed. Yesterday took the car for an oil change and then stopped to get a tag for my license plates. Plates not need renewing till my birthday in August but now I will not bury the reminder and forget to get on time. Also read a whole book: Rainwater by Sandra Brown. It is on the list of suggested books to read before my book club (Holy Ground) meeting July 20. I just loved it, especially the ending. Although a lot of conflict and pain, the ending made it all worth while. Do not remember reading any other books written by her by there are a lot of them and I intend to read more.

Feel that I am blessed by God. Grateful that He guided us to buying this house in this neighborhood. I have wonderful neighbors, and the area is so beautiful and safe to walk through!

When I was in Florida, Wes helped me set up another blog and get on Facebook. The latest excitement in my life is that with the help of Matt, Yvonne and Wes, I now have Skype!!! Pam suggested it so Aud and I could see one another on callsl; I got the Webcam kit at WalMart; Matt installed most of it; Yvonne helped some (we use cross loop and she can do wonders with that) and Wes guided me through my first couple of calls!! It is amazing!! The first call to Wes, I could see the building that is going up on his back lot — see men walking on the rafters! I had been disappointed that the construction did not start till after I left but God must have heard my wish because I am actually watching it being built! The second call to Wes, Deb chatted too and showed me a piece of her artwork in which she incorporated some of my writing! I am so honored and proud to be a part of this piece. She has been working with en caustics which is a form of art using hot wax! It was wonderful to watch her work and see some of the beautiful pieces she makes. It was so much fun, too, to talk with my nephew, Kevin. He has such a delightful sense of humor and we laughed a lot. Hope to chat with him on Skype often.

How Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

jo — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:09:12 +0000

Every day, when I awake, I thank the Good Lord for the new day of possibilities. It is so wonderful to awake to the sunshine (or the quiet rain), stretch and treasure these golden days of life.

God has blessed me with such a wonderful family — I could write a book just about them (maybe I will), siblings and their spouses, good neighbors and friends. My children and grandchildren keep in touch via phone and emails. What fun to talk with Yvonne when she spent a few days in Montreal on business. A beautiful start to the day to have Wes call and say he misses me; and later to have a long, beautiful talk with Deb and Wes reminding me of their love and goodness to me. Phone call visits with Chris and Leanne bring me up to date on what’s happening in Pennsylvania and also reminds me of our bond of love. How I appreciate the long newsy emails from Beth who is so busy with a rambunctious fifteen month-old granddaughter ! Beth and I share a love of reading (among a lot of other things) and she is often most helpful in editing my columns. It is always fun to be with Matt and Tina – most often when he helps me around the house, he will stay and chat and have a beer or two with me. I treasure the trips to Middlefield with Tina as we always have a ball! All of them are surrounded by an aura of love and add so very much to my life! I could fill another whole book with stories of my grandchildren who lovingly keep in touch with me, make it possible for me to visit and to visit me. All of my children and grandchildren are precious stones in an invisible necklace that I wear and the great grandchildren are like little diamonds among them. I treasure the moments when I can be with them — perhaps playing with Play Dough or reading to them!

I am blessed to have five sisters and two brothers-in-law all living locally. We treasure the times when we can meet for lunch often to celebrate one of our birthdays. These are always times of laughter and love. Most recently, on Friday, June 18th Laurie, Mary, Judy, Cheryl, Linda, brother-in-law, Ron, and I met to celebrate Laurie’s birthday which was earlier in June. We are truly blessed. Judy has invited us to her campsite to celebrate Mary’s birthday which is July 24.

Often in my thoughts and prayers are a couple of cousins, Aud Roberts who is visiting her daughter Pam and son-in-law, Dave in Alaska and Audrey Alten who is actually my mother’s cousin but a five months younger than I am! I keep in touch with Aud in Alaska with phone calls and cards; I keep in touch with Audrey in Ohio mostly via email. I have so many happy memories of time spend with Aud and of the many letters, phone calls and few visits with Audrey. I treasure the times when my much younger cousin, Nancy, and I get together. She has such a great sense of humor! About three of years ago when I wanted to take a month long vacation from Kumon, I asked her to fill in for me and she did. She has stayed on ever since and it is fun to see her at work.

Life is filled with so many stories! How blest am I to have lived to see so many changes in our world! I often reminisce in my columns about how difference things were as I grew up! I do treasure that childhood and also the part I played in the childhoods of my children, (guess this is my third childhood instead of what this time of life is often referred to as – a second childhood).

Enough rambling (or is it called stream of consciousness?) and get on with my day. Think it is the first day of summer. Foliage is so lush and green; flowers are so beautiful! God is in His heaven and all is right with the world!

Back to normal, whatever that is!

jo — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:40:49 +0000

Although I miss my loved ones in Florida, I am grateful that I returned just as the hot, muggy weather moved in! Here, in Ohio, the weather has been beautiful. Some rain but no real storms near me. Pleasant days and cool nights.

Still getting organized here at home and striving to keep up my blogs, Facebook, and emails! Also to get more writing done.

On Saturday it was fun to return to Kumon as I love the kids and the reading, and am surrounded by great people. Was pleased when several of them welcomed me back. Had watched the DVD loaned to me by Wes and Deb (The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) and returned it to the Solon Post Office.

On Sunday, was pleased to return to singing in the choir at Holy Angels and the love that is in that group. Also to return to the Divine Mercy prayers in the chapel afterward. Mutual friend is in a nursing home so dear neighbor, Marilyn, and I went to visit her. Looks good and optimistic. Enjoyed light supper at Bob Evans with Marilyn. Quiet evening with some TV.

Good start today with email, blogs, getting financial information in order. Was cool last night and I feel refreshed today. Made several appointments with dentist, medical doctor, eye doctor, ENT to have hearing checked. Marked calendar for Writers’ group meeting Wednesday night; Women at the Well, Thursday night. I am grateful for my health, for my dear children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings, cousins, friends, and for the many opportunities and challenges in my life. Inspired by the 101 year old woman I met on the plane! Traveling alone and changing planes — had spent a year and a half with a daughter in Italy and plans to go back. Amazing, too, that she has a twin sister in New Jersey! How blessed I was to sit beside her! Wes and Deb thanked me for overcoming my hesitancy to fly — they are so good and so thoughtful and made this a super visit. Being able to be with granddaughter, Claire, her husband and Malik and Leila was an added plus. God is good. All the time.

Back to Ohio

jo — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:21:51 +0000

Woke at 6:30 and packed. Wes made breakfast which we ate on the back porch – accompanied by Toulouse, of course. We read the paper and I started to work on the crossword puzzle. Deb pointed out more birds than usual were singing in the mimosa tree — I said a whole bouquet of birds. It is hard to say goodbye.

Wes and Deb got me to the airport on time and we hugged and said goodbye. Hard not to cry. Though thunderstorms predicted skies blue and weather good. Surprised at the height of the clouds — they seem several stories high. Kept thinking of how much Chris enjoys flying and that I could enjoy it for him. Saw unusual thin flat bright blue clouds like I have never seen — looked like something out of a Salvador Dali painting. Finished the last few chapters of book I brought.

As we approached the airport, the pilot announced that there were thunderstorms to the west (said we were 40 miles and 15 minutes from Akron-Canton Airport) and he would try to beat them. Do not know how one can speed up a descent but put it in his hands and all was fine.

So happy to see my son, Matt, waiting for me at the luggage pick up area. Was raining lightly as we walked to the car and there were brief showers off and on as we traveled toward home. Matt suggested ordering pizza from Guidos and we had it with a side salad and cold beer when we got home. Was wonderful to relax and have dinner with him and later to sit on the porch and talk. Helped me to wind down. He set up the DVD movie that Wes and Deb sent with me since we ran out of time to watch it there; I can mail it back to Netflix from here. Found two lovely oriental fans that Angie had bought in Hartville for me! Love them — pleased she knows that my bedroom has oriental decor. Long day and very very tired! Wes called to see how plane ride was; talked with Yvonne, too. Need to call Chris and Beth.

Memorial Day

jo — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:40:41 +0000

This is one of the loveliest holidays I ever spent. Wes, Deb and I awoke after a refreshing night’s sleep and Wes made a great breakfast of fried potatoes, toast and eggs. Deb and Wes are a great team in the kitchen (and elsewhere) as they usually each do something in preparing great meals. Totally relaxed, we read the paper. Around ten we were pleased to have Claire and Leila walk down from their nearby house, and join us on the back porch. Claire took a couple of pictures of Leila for me and posted them on my Facebook. Beautiful day but getting hot and humid, so Deb closed the house up and put the air on. I am comfortable as I check my email, check my Facebook, and work on my blogs. Wes is a great, and patient teacher and I am learning a lot. We broke for lunch and as I continue on my blog, Deb is working on her art project and Wes is cutting frames for her artwork. So wonderful to be spending a quiet morning with loved ones — no noise, no heat, no crowds. I love parades but not the hassle that goes with going to them. I did miss chasing balloons with Marilyn as part of Blossom Time, but so many other fun things have been happening I forgot all about our annual foray until I talked to Marilyn and she mentioned them.

It was so neat to be able to spend a few hours with Deb in her Art Area on the screened in back porch. I watched her work on her encaustic art which is so beautiful. It takes a lot of patience as working with hot wax! We had such a nice visit as we talked while she worked. She is a blessing in my life.

In the evening, had wonderful dinner here with Claire, Shaheed, Malik and Leila — a lot of love, a lot of laughter and such good food prepared by Wes and Deb. I will store these memories to savor when I am alone at home.

Thankful Thursday

jo — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:50:21 +0000

There is a saying that time flies when you are having fun and that is sooo true! On Tuesday, we had a quiet evening with a wonderful salmon dinner made by Wes and Deb. Different in that maple syrup and garlic were among the ingredients that flavored it! Terrific. This sure is a five star bed and breakfast!

Yesterday started off with Wes and I relaxing on the back porch, enjoying being together and also a nice cup of tea. After having burritos for lunch, we headed over to Bunny’s house where she, Wes and Malory had a meeting to discuss a new project to bring artists and scientists together to bring awareness to an environmental problem in the area and encourage people to work together to solve it. It was extremely interesting and I was so proud of what Wes brought to the table; they asked him to become part of the board. I did not want to intrude so listened till they were almost finished and then Wes began to tell them ab9ut the Storyteller’s Summit and I enthusiastically joined in the conversation. It was so nice as Malory and Bunny so friendly and inclusive. Afterward Bunny showed me her studio and also her workshop in the garage. Richard came home and we enjoyed chatting with him before leaving.

We got home shortly before Deb and relaxed a bit before they made a lovely dinner of tempeh, quinoa, and yellow squash. We enjoyed it with wine in the living room as we watched another The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency movie. These are especially enjoyable for me as they bring the characters in the books to life and now when I read more in the series it will be easier to relate to them.

I have been blessed to be here with Wes and Deb and to be able to be with my granddaughter, her husband and my two darling great grandchildren. While Wes went off to Home Depot and Lowes to get quotes for doors and windows for his new building, I took a leisurely shower in a lovely outdoor shower! That always makes me feel invigorated.

We also had a wonderful Friday with some very welcome rain late afternoon. Meant that we did not get to the Jazz concert but we did have a lovely evening here with Claire.

Facebook – New Adventure

jo — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:26:09 +0000

Deb had to work, but Wes and I had a lot of quality time together. Was able to check my Facebook and pleasantly surprised to find many people want to be Facebook friends with me. Especially pleased that when I encouraged Pam Kelley to be a friend, she showed my picture and comment to her mom, Aud, who is a very dear cousin visiting Pam in Alaska. Aud asked her to comment on my picture where I am wearing a tie die shirt that says: Let me Tell You a Story. Aud said she would like me to tell her one. This is wonderful to be able to communicate this way. Bless Wes.

Shaheed took me lunch at Joe’s Restaurant today and we had such a wonderful time. I love him and we enjoy being together. When we finished lunch, I rode with him while he picked up Leila at school and they came back here with me to visit a bit with Wes.

Wes has so many projects to do and works a lot in the back lot prepping it for the building that will go there soon.

When Deb got home from work, they made a lovely dinner of pasta, veggies, tofu and pizza. We ate it with wine in front of the TV where we watched: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective (thanks to NetFlick). Deb and I have read almost all of the books by the author and love them. It is amazing how well the actors fit the roles! I then learned that all of the movies we have watched, Wes and Deb have seen before but wanted to share them with me! I am grateful for their love and thoughtfulness. They are spoiling me and time going so fast before I leave for home a week from Wednesday.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Rained last night; bit cooler today and overcast. Deb had dentist appointment at seven!!! I slept in and although Wes had breakfast with Deb earlier, he ate a bit with me as well. It was wonderful to be together on the back porch. He worked most of the morning on prep work; I did a few dishes; took a few pictures, walked around the back yard.

Around 5, Claire picked me up to go see Malik play in his first football game of the season. He did really well and made a great tackle. Claire, Shaheed and I sat by the field (Claire and I in a folding double chair with a huge umbrella over us. It shaded us but also kept us dry when there was light rain. Light rain and sunshine at the same time!) . Leila played with friends. Afterward we all went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. I had never been there and I enjoyed the food and being with my loved ones. This vacation includes a lot of first time experiences!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

It is nice that most mornings start off sweet and slow. Many times, Wes and Deb have breakfast very early while I sleep in. When I get up and have my breakfast, Deb is at work and Wes will have a second cup of coffee or tea and a biscuit and we will talk. Deb takes the newspaper to work with her but they cut the crossword puzzle out and leave for me. I usually check my emails, Face Book, and work on my blog for a bit each day. Today, for instance, Wes had a meeting at the college with his boss and they went to lunch together. I made myself lunch and played on the computer most of the time. Wes is patiently going over what he originally taught me about blogging that I have sadly neglected. I am scheduled to leave for home a week from today!

Are You Having Fun?

jo — Sun, 23 May 2010 14:42:10 +0000

Perhaps because I am having so much fun being with my loved ones in Florida, I think about all of the fun that can be found in life. Sometimes it comes to us as a surprise, but we can look for it as well.

It was fun to ride to the airport with my youngest son, Matt whose sense of humor always brightens my days. I enjoyed the plane trip down, and it was fun to be met by my oldest son, Wes who also has a great sense of humor. The warm welcome by my daughter-in-love, Deb, confirmed that this would be a wonderful visit. It is always fun to be with them and also to spend time with my granddaughter, Claire, her husband, Shaheed and my great grandchildren – Malik who is eleven and Leila who is nine. A rare treat is for Wes, Deb and me to have lunch with Leila and her friends at school.

Ever since Wes and Deb took me to Savanna during my last visit, I have looked forward to going again. When they told me we had reservations at a bed and breakfast there for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, I thought that was my Mother’s Day gift but on Sunday, Wes took me to Mass and afterward they gave me my card. Inside was the agenda for a writer’s workshop the next weekend in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida! Called The Storytellers’ Summit, it has several noted authors and a variety of sessions to choose from. Wes and I even had fun discussing and planning which sessions to attend. While in Savanna, I had a different kind of fun when Deb helped me rub some really old gravestones and get some decorations and quaint epitaphs.

My visits here always include lunches and dinners with friends and Saturday night parties are lots of fun. You do not have to be on vacation to have fun. There are so many things right in our own backyard – we merely need to be open to opportunities to have fun. Each morning, as we stretch and greet a new day, we can muse on what we might enjoy doing. Many of us have a variety of activities that we routinely do. Some of us enjoy going to Mass and singing in the choir, some enjoy the Senior Centers and what they offer. Some of us belong to book clubs; some play cards weekly and have fun just discussing what is going on locally. Some of my friends enjoy the European tours offered by Holy Angels from time to time. Many of my friends enjoy travelling and gambling trips. The couple who have made it possible for me to be in Tetelestai by doing the driving have been in the cast from the very beginning – 32 years! Their granddaughter who is 13 has been in it nine years! They and some of their children but especially this granddaughter have been roller coaster fans for years and have traveled all over the U.S. to spend vacations riding roller coasters. Although they are in their seventies and Tom has had back surgery, they plan to ride the coasters with Tori this summer! You know of the delight that I find in being a part of the cast of Tetelestai and an elf on the Polar Express. It is fun for me to write for the Spirit. Since I love kids and have a love affair with words, working with the youngsters at Kumon is really fun for me. During the summer, I plan whole days of fun with my sister, Cheryl and my daughter-in-law, Tina as we make a loop through Middlefield. We might start at the Amish salvage store, go to the Store at the Commons in Mesopotamia, stop at the Cheese Factory on 87, stop at an Amish bakery, get eggs at an Amish farm, or we can start at the Whitehouse Chocolates in Burton and then do some of the other things. We have toured a tiny cemetery in Mespo that my neighbor Marilyn introduced to me. It has some grave stones that were carved by a sculptor after the Civil War – his has a bear cub climbing over the top of an obelisk. I have taken iced tea or water in bottles and we have purchased sandwiches at the cheese factory and on our way home stopped in a park and had a mini picnic. Most recently, we ate at Rosepoint Cottage, a lovely tea room in Chardon, and we celebrated Tina’s birthday. We have been to the Middlefield flea market, and during the summer always get a supply of fresh vegetables, berries and fruit at various farms.

We all have different ideas of what fun is. Even work can be fun if it makes us happy and makes us sing. How long has it been since you sang or whistled? I never hear anyone whistling a happy tune any more.

People who make a habit of having fun are fun to be around. My mother had a voracious appetite for having fun. Wherever she went, she attracted people because she was having so much fun. At parties, groups would always form around her as she regaled them with stories of funny people she had met or funny adventures she’d had. You could always hear laughter floating from her area. She never learned to drive, but her joy was so infectious she was never at a loss for a ride because she made it fun just to be with her.

Do you have a To Do list and if so, is FUN a priority on it? Is it something you see as a perk or unexpected reward or as a normal part of living? We need fun and it helps to think about that. Having fun will be a buffer when tough times hit; it is the sugar that helps the medicine go down.

Take a few minutes to be quiet and ask yourself – what does fun mean to me? What do I really like to do? When you hear of an activity that sounds interesting, make a note of it and check it out. I used to think that life just happened to me and I reacted, but I learned that I create my life. I used to wait for fun to come knocking on my door, but now I actively pursue it. Time waits for no one. I just read of a 90 year old woman who received her Master’s degree and plans to teach at a college. She started college in her 80’s! This was fun for her and she was not discouraged by her age. What’s stopping you?

If you are not having fun, it’s time to start by planning a fun filled summer!