Memoirs

A very special day this has been for me!   Wes made eggs in hearts and turkey sausage for breakfast and then took me to St. Patrick’s Church for Mass at 8:30. Each mother was given a beautiful rose as we left the church.

Upon returning from church, I had the fun experience of learning how to take pictures with my new Nikkon camera that Wes and Deb bought for me yesterday for Mother’s Day!   There are so many beautiful flowers and many of them do not grow up north.  So pictures of them, of angel adornments, of Wes and of me!  Later when Leila came over I got a couple of really good shots (she is so pretty and so photogenic) of her in the rocker on the front porch.

Leila on the front porch

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A wonderful, wonderful visit is drawing to a close and when I fly home on Wednesday, I will be taking a lot of beautiful memories with me.   I have long looked forward to being with Wes and Deb, and spending time with Claire, Malik, Leila and Shaheed.  Ever since I began spending about a month per visit with them, the experiences have varied.   Basically, though, it is a mix of relaxation and activity.

It would fill a book to recap everything, but the highlight of this vacation was a weekend trip to Savannah, Georgia.  We stayed in a darling bed and breakfast near one of the 22 historical squares which are named but all have trees, walks, shrubs, etc.  Some also have monuments as well.

Savannah Bed and Breakfast Inn

We packed the short time with a lot of different activities, which included a lot of walking  but also a lot of driving to places like the Boneventure Cemetery where Johnny Mercer is buried.   Mass on Sunday at The Cathedral of  St. John the Baptist in Savannah was breathtakingly beautiful and that was followed by a river boat ride (to celebrate Wes and Deb’s seventh wedding anniversary – I was here then as well – on Monday).  The ride included a lovely brunch highlighted with Georgia peach cobbler.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Thanks to Wes, my blog has been redesigned and he is teaching me how to work with it, so I expect to do a much better job of blogging from now on.

After this blustery snowy winter, I delight in magazines and seed catalogs that herald the approach of spring.

Never the less, I do love the beauty of winter skies and landscapes pure and white.  The skeleton shapes the trees take on remind me of dry times in my life when I was tempted to give up hope.  They also remind me that “this, too, will pass” and that those down times were followed by rebirth.  It is the very stark whiteness that highlights the colors of nature.  How much more beautiful is the scarlet cardinal against a backdrop of pure white.  Even the black of the crows is enhanced by the contrast, much like the black print on white paper that create words that connect us with the world and others.  Perhaps some of the wintery times of our lives can be a backdrop for the beauty we often overlook. Read the rest of this entry »

In this day and age, we are constantly bombarded with intense images.  The video games played by the younger generation have intense graphics and audio effects.  TV movies are more extreme, and often more explicit, than ones we used to view at theaters.  When it comes to discussing our faith or beliefs, we pull back.  We tend to downplay our perspective for fear of offending others.  What if we took the intensity of today’s society and applied it to what we commemorate on Easter?

I think of the battered body of Christ, shrunken and drained by the pain of His final hours.  His hair is matted with blood from the puncture wounds from the crown of thorns that was so roughly forced upon His head.  Every rib stands out in His gaunt frame, and gaping holes adorn his hands and feet.  The side wound, where the spear was thrust, is sharper and cleaner. Read the rest of this entry »

To all seniors – do you know how special and wonderful you are? Not just because of longevity, as that is decided by God, but you must have lived most of your life well or you would not have lived this long. Think about the warehouse of knowledge stored in your brain; the warehouse of love stored in your heart! You have the ability to begin each day with joyful curiosity.

When we were young, the telephone was in its infancy. Placing a phone call was pleasant and exciting. When you picked up the receiver, a lovely voice would say. “Number, Please” and she would connect you to that number! I treasure the true story about the little boy who was lonely and called the Information Operator and was comforted. It is too long to retell but she was his invisible friend to adulthood! It wasn’t until I was a pre-teen that phones appeared in homes. Now, many homes have several, and it seems that almost everyone has a cell phone. Read the rest of this entry »

In these troubling economic times, we wonder what we will be able to leave to our children. Will we be able to help them financially – give them a healthy inheritance? Will it be a small amount but one that they could build? Or, are our debts all that we will leave behind? Without a crystal ball, those questions remain to be answered.

However, we leave more to our children than material wealth. During our lives we work and live our lives in a way that keeps our finances strong. Without realizing it, how we live our lives also affects the lives and health of our children. We can leave them a legacy of a good immune systems. What we eat and how active we are will affect on them as well. Just looking at families, we see that in general, overweight parents have children who are overweight; slender parents usually have slender children. In overweight families, slender children show how the children can change their physical inheritance. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

This has been a winter of frigid, often single digit temperatures, and a startling 13 degrees below zero! We have been challenged by icy roads and an abundance of snow. As we struggle to keep warm, we often hesitate to brave the elements. How have you been keeping warm?

The words of the old song entitled “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” are as true today as when written years ago. During the bitter cold of this winter, it is comforting that this means of keeping warm is available to everyone! The energy generated by love is free! Read the rest of this entry »

The first month of our calendar year is named January after Janus, a god in Greek mythology. This is especially fitting as he was the two-faced god who had one face looking ahead and one face looking back. He is the god of beginnings and endings, of gates and doors.

With the arrival of January first, 2008 came to an end and 2009 began. We can look back on the past year with its joys and sorrows and hope that we are better because of them. Hopefully, too, the past year has been a time of growth — spiritually, physically, intellectually and emotionally. How many gates stood between us and our dreams? Did we have the courage and strength to open them? How many doors opened for us? Did we bravely go through them or did we turn aside?

We have the ability to look back – to savor the good memories and to be grateful that we survived the tough times. Perhaps we wonder how different our lives might have been if we had accepted some of the challenges. Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit in September of ’05, a group of volunteers from Lord of Life Lutheran Church have been spending a week around Thanksgiving in Biloxi, Miss helping the people rebuild their homes and their lives. They have been so successful they have moved on to Bay St. Louis this past year. A similar group of volunteers from Holy Angels has gone to Bay St. Louis ever since 2005. This is a tremendous gift of time and energy. Not everyone can do that but those who could and did felt humbled and blessed by the experience. Read the rest of this entry »

After five wonderful, wonderful weeks with Wes and Deb when I had special moments with Claire, Shaheed, Malik and Leila, went to a variety of churches for Mass with friend John or Shaheed, was a guest at a wedding  — in fact had a wonderful time –  I left Florida in May.  Wes and Deb took me to the train station in Palatka, Florida on a sunny afternoon and 34 hours later, my dear son, Matt, met me in the frigid early morning hours at the Cleveland train station.
After a couple of days of “train lag” I threw myself back into my busy schedule which has only accelerated.  That is why this blog has been neglected.   In May, when I returned to weekly meetings of my book club, Holy Ground, I told everyone about my web site and blog.   After a summer of less meetings, I returned in September, and a friend, Louise Cox, told me that she had visited my blog and said, “You are still in Florida.  Better get busy writing.”  So here I am.
May was busy and it was good to have spent a month of spring in Florida and now enjoy a month of northern spring.  Days flew by and soon it was Memorial Day.  It was fun to celebrate with a cookout with Matt and Tina, Mary and Cheryl and Angie.  We started around two and Mary and Cheryl left around eight while Matt, Tina and Angie stayed even later.  The next day, I met my friend, Shirley for lunch.   Wednesday was my first day back at work.  I started that day by singing with the Holy Angels choir at a funeral at church; got a haircut, went to work and from there went to choir practice.  Thursday returned to playing SKAT with Brown Baggers in the morning and going to my Aunt Al’s wake from 2-4.
June stated with my Aunt Al’s funeral.  We were always close as she was fourteen years old when I was born.  However, I had to miss the funeral as I was on a Greyhound bus headed for Lansing, Michigan for the baptism of my dear little great grandson, Jaydin.  Dear grandson, Jason, met me at the bus depot in Lansing.   It was an extremely hot day and the first bus had no air conditioning so after we boarded almost an hour late, the bus returned to Cleveland before setting out again.  I had to change busses in Toledo and Detroit and it was about an eight-hour trip but interesting.  Jay took me to an Eastern restaurant to try some of their favorite food, and we were surprised to have a couple of belly dancers entertain us!   Soon after we got home, Kristin and Jaydin arrived and I got to hold my youngest great grandchild.  What a treasure!  Tiny little fingers and darling expressions on his face.  So good to be with this little family.  While there I was able to attend a bridal shower for Shawna, Kristin’s sister and be a part of the baptismal celebration on Sunday.  Kristin and Jason lovingly shared Jaydin and I got to hold him a lot.  The three of them took me to the bus depot at 10:30 on Monday and I was on my way home.  On Tuesday, attended an ARRP meeting, back to work on Wednesday.  Another highlight of the month was being a part of the Holy Angels choir and going to Cleveland to sing the National Anthem before an Indians’ baseball game.  On Saturday drove to Berea to visit with Lynn Miralia and meet her family.  That was fun.  On Sunday, I was the commentator at Mass for the first time and that was good.  Tuesday is Holy Ground and we had a summer meeting from noon till 2:30. not finding anything The end of June, went to a meeting for Tetelestai, and on Saturday went to a graduation party for the young man next door.  Fran and Tom Keesey moved in before they had any children and Emily was born soon after; Jimmy couple years later, so I have known these young people all of their lives.
July went along pretty much the same with AARP, work at Kumon on Mondays and Wednesdays, Brown Baggers on Thursdays, and a wonderful visit from Yvonne from New York on Friday the 6th until she left on Sunday. Another treat was to visit my cousin Aud, who is like a sister to me, on second Tuesday in July, attend Mass at the Mount and have lunch with the nuns and then sleep over and stay until I had to go directly to work at Kumon in Solon.  On Thursday, Mary and I looked at monuments at Solon Granite as Wes has been dead twelve years and does not have a headstone.  Found a very unusual stone, which I love and arranged to have the information carved on it.  That Friday, Claire and the kids arrived for a visit!  Shaheed had been visiting his family and on Sunday Claire and the kids went there for a going away party for Shaheed’s brother who will take his family to Saudi Arabia and teach for two years.  I had to leave before they did to go to a graduation party for my sister Laurie’s grandson, Ryan.  Went with Mary and Cheryl and had a wonderful time with all of the family and friends.   The following Saturday, Shaheed and kids went to a wedding reception and got here around one in the morning.  On Sunday I had to be the commentator at noon Mass and they went with me.  I was so proud of them.  Shaheed and Malik wore suits, white shirts and lavender ties.  Leila had a lovely dress with orchid flowers on it.  Though not planned, my blouse and slacks also matched her dress.  They stayed overnight and on Monday we all went to Amish country and got few blueberries (kids love to pick them but not many this year due to a late frost and drought), vegetables, cheese and eggs.  They went back to visit Shaheed’s family but were here on Thursday to say goodbye before returning to Florida.  July 28 was special as many of us were guests at Laurie’s granddaughter, Cheryl’s wedding.  It was a lovely ceremony and several of us went back to Laurie’s house until the reception in the evening.   Mary, Cheryl, Judy, Bill and I stopped at the home of Laurie’s son, Ron and his wife and sons before going to the reception.  It was lovely and Bill and Judy drove us home.
So as not to make this a diary, will just say that August was just as busy as the other months.   I celebrated my 79th birthday by helping Cheryl move from her old house to a lovely new one built further back on her property.  I took some sandwiches and wine and we enjoyed a light lunch on her old deck.  The new house is so beautiful and has such a lovely view of her little lake – I just love it and am so happy for her. I commentated at eight o’clock Mass on Sunday and then Matt and Tina picked me up around eleven and took me to the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls for a wonderful brunch.  We got a table overlooking the canal; food is always good there and we all enjoyed it.  We laughed a lot and had a wonderful time.  They had given me a watch on a chain some time back and the chain had broken so they bought me a new one for my birthday. On the way home, Matt drove through Hudson and I got to see the new shopping mall and the two-story library.  A wonderful day.   A sad ending to August  with the death of John Schlessman whom I have known since I met Wes in 1946.  It was sudden and a shock to everyone.
By September was going full steam ahead!  Irene had gone to live with her daughter, Susan and son in law Joe and I visited her there.  Had a cookout for Labor Day on Sunday with Matt and Tina.  On the holiday itself went to the wake for John, and on the next day went to his funeral.  The chaplain from the hospital gave a wonderful eulogy.  However, a very sad day.  Bright and clear weather.   Dear daughter-in-law, Leanne had surgery on the 5th and I did talk with her.  Friends from school were in town and about a dozen of us got together for lunch at one o’clock on Monday and I went right from there to work in Solon.  Doris keeps in touch with me via e mail and tells me of their life in Las Vegas.  Always good to see her and George.  They always come for class reunions but those are getting further apart.   The choir did not practice during the summer but had a wonderful welcome back dinner on Wed. the 19th. The following Saturday went to a thank you dinner for volunteers in the National Park and rode with neighbor, Kelly Collier, who also volunteers.  Saw Ranger Beth Rush who has been so much help to me in the four years I have volunteered as an elf on the Polar Express (have signed up to do it again this year.)  On Sunday, went to a birthday party for Loretta whom I have known since grade school and who celebrated her 80th birthday.  Next day applied for a passport since it will be needed after January first for crossing the border into Canada.  No plans to do that now, but who knows?  For several years now, my five sisters and I have met for lunch every couple of months and if there are any birthdays in that span, we celebrate.  On the 28th (Friday) we met at the Glenwillow Grill and had a ball.  It was so much fun for the six of us to be together and we got to laughing at how short I have grown and it was hysterical.  Friend Sandy picked up her Polar Express tickets and met my sisters; friend, Kay Sloane was there for lunch with a friend and came over and talked.
That brings us to October and I am writing this on the last Saturday and need to go to work this morning so will write more later.

Truly this is the day the Lord has made, and I am rejoicing. I needed to purchase a bus ticket to go to Lansing on Friday, June 1 for the baptism of my great grandson, Jaydin and I could not go through Solon without stopping for Mass at the Church of the Resurrection. It is always good to see Father Mark and the friends there that I have had for many years. I miss going to morning Mass and stopping for tea with the group afterward. Bless them. I could not stop for morning Mass and not drop in and see Terry Battaglia. She was DRE of PSR for many of the sixteen years that I taught those classes to second graders at Resurrection.

After picking up my ticket at the Greyhound bus station at Southgate, I stopped at Marc’s in Solon, K Mart in Bainbridge and Heinen’s in Bainbridge content that I had enjoyed being with friends at the start of the day and accomplished so much afterward.

It has been a beautiful day, though a tad hot. As I write this it has clouded up and there is thunder in the distance. This is the start of Blossom Time and they often have rain! My friend and neighbor, Marilyn Collier has invited me to ride with her as she watches the balloons land at the high school. The sight of many colorful huge balloons coming to Chagrin is wonderful.