My brother and sister/law’s anniversary is in 5 days….They gave us a wonderful certificate to one of Ft. Myers’ best restaurants for Christmas…..time was right and we haven’t used it….nothing better than to return the gift card so they can have fun…on their dime and my stamp.
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SUNSHINE MEDICINE
“You may have a medical problem”……runs shivers up and down your spine. Even in the movies, those words make us tremble. We are all act brave, showing that ‘devil may care’ attitude, but deep inside our gut is churning and the sunny day goes to turbulent winds with the threat of rain.
It is checkup time…..an ultrasound for me and a colonoscopy for him. Been there more than once and yet it still creeps into our daily living, like the fog from the Pacific. Warm winds of serenity touching the cool winds of change…..cause us to become solitary, even though there is no prediction of doom.
So the bootstraps are pulled up…..as we become nonchalant in the face of our inner fearfulness.
We then begin to rationalize, and examine…..what are the odds…I take good care of myself….it doesn’t run in my family, and on and on. We do begin to feel better, and our sleep goes undisturbed.
The day comes for our tests…..and the phone rings for each of us…..”sure, we’ve done everything, we’ll be there, no problem”. The medical facility is warm, and friendly, and we are ushered to our rooms. We look into the eyes of the staff, watching as they take pictures, in hopes of finding reassuring glances that all is well. The procedures are over almost as quickly as they begin and we welcome the lifting of the haze of marking time.
The phones ring the next afternoon….and with certitude, we answer. “Just calling to say your test was negative and all is well”…..”We’ll see you next year”. The phone rings again. “The results of your procedure are negative”. We’ll see you in 5 years”. And the sun shines once more.
Nannner Nano
Ipod…..a simple item to carry my music…not the new Nano, but the older one…but who really cares, cause when it don’t work, it don’t work!
Last year it froze….didn’t know it could freeze. No one told me it could freeze…used to be called ‘stopped working’…..now it is ‘freeze’…..Just like phones…used to be called ‘answer’….now it’s called ‘send’. Help me here!
Anyhow…..when I ask around, I got this blank stare….’guess you need to go to the Apple store’….. After 20 miles in bumper to bumper traffic.. I got to stand in line for an appointment and then hang out (somewhere of my choosing) til it was time….to ‘thaw’…no ‘unfreeze’.
The guy was nice….and very capable (of course, anyone age 2 and up is more capable with “I” anything, than me,however that is another story). In essence he just passed is hand over the Nano….said it happens all the time, and I was back to grooving with the 80’s.
Now, in the current year of our Lord….who I hope was not listening when the Nano ‘broke’ again……I found that I could not download music I had purchased from Itunes. I had the right questions, I had the right answers, I plugged in with the right cable, etc, etc….and nothing happened. If course, there was the manual I could turn to, but…..no, no there wasn’t. Apple doesn’t believe in those things…except on line. Not to mention the manual has to be the size of the Obamacare measure, to cover everything that could ever happen to a Nano. But I digress.
My PC was good at telling me what I couldn’t do, but not what I could, or should. I shouted “uncle’….took the Toshiba laptop belonging to hubby, my baby Nano, and off we went to see Mr. or Mrs. Apple head….now now, don’t get huffy…potato head, apple head, no difference, especially in my state of mind.
Mr. Apple reminded me when I walked in that this was not a Toshiba store….as in ‘ha ha ha’, (in my state of mind). I turned the computer around and ask for an appointment….The earliest was 1 hour 45 min..oh goody. Too short to go home and come back, and too long to just sit there. I was safe to shop cause I’d been to Kohl’s and got my ‘fix’ earlier in the day.
I came back early….checked in, and the nice man was nice to the old lady. (okay nice boy, okay young married man). He told me to remember that a Nano likes only one computer and will always refuse to ‘mess around’ with another computer…very monogomous, these Apples. So, with a few screens here and a few screens there, topped off with a ‘next’, a ‘finish’, a yes’ and a no, I was back in business. Why Itunes and Apple does not want their products to mess around (interface) with other Apples is beyond me. I.D. is I.D. and money is money. (I’m still digressing aren’t I)
So I left. Nano and Toshiba and me (or I, who cares). We came home and downloaded some new stuff from Maroon 5 and Bill Withers……(yes, I’m old, but not that old). (Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Genesis, the Owl guy, etc, etc…love’m all)(there I go again). So now we’re all happy, except my plug’in (that’s ‘dock’ in your language), speakers don’t work anymore and I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend $100 for another one. It’s a shame they don’t have a ‘ Mr. MrsMemorex’ store next to the Mr. Mrs Apple head store.
later….
60 seconds with a 5 year old
my hairis long,the sky is high, wait for papa to help, get the tape, my hair never stops growing, don’t touch anything, I swim, don’t touch me,I’ll tell, no, go check where papa is,
tell me,I’m sitting on yur chair to keep it warm, big, medium, large, smaller, smaller smaller, smallest, we’re not going to paint yet, ‘Ill eat you up unless you eat me, Bri…nah, nah-uh, robots eat you, der, der, der, der, hand is locked, can’t get it, nah, nah,nah, I didn’t have it, whoooooooo, whoooooo,that was me saying a ghost thing, B ri, stop it, we don’t need it, take it off, Bri did it, la, la, la,hey, I told you, don’t use those. You are in my place Bri, you are in my place, play a dog, orpainting, find some other stuff, Bri you are in my place, where I’m standing, um, go to the other floor, ugggg,click the stars and we’ll play a game,which one, that one, that one, that one, face the problem
s…sh….makes shhhhhh…..shhhhhhh, I mean the road, the road, ch…chhhhhhhh, which one on broken road, th…..thhhhhh.
I read two papers this AM with 3 cups of coffee…..let me say it again, I READ TWO NEWSPAPERS this morning with 3 cups of coffee. My kids tell me I’m really ‘out of mainline journalism’…..I’m in ‘mail-line journalism…and that is further out. I’m sad if it is the truth….that the days of newspapers are fading. Yes, the word ‘sad’ is appropriate.
The better part of my 68 years I’ve shared with a newspaper…..When I was learning to read….the newspaper was always in my home. Mother and Dad read, and then I read. Sure, at the age of 10 I wasn’t all that interested in the front page, but there were always the ‘funnies’. Kind of like learning to iron…..first you start with the hankies and then you move onward to more difficult pieces of clothing. That’s how the newspaper and I made friends.
Then, in high school, sometimes things in my small brain began to gel….I would read something in the paper and low and behold…we’d talk about it in government or history. Dang!
And now, after all these years, I’m more of an avid reader than ever. I learn every day…whether it is a joke, a piece of history, a sale, a divorce, a birth, a death, and on and on. LIFE is the newspaper and the newspaper is life. It tells me the weather, the high school basketball scores, the time of the July 4th parade, the mass at church, the sale at the local dress shop, the fishing report for the local lake, and the local police beat…often and thank goodness, more humorous than scary.
I would be foolish to say the Internet has not proved to be another great spot for the news….I know we can hear it all on local TV stations as well as CNN and FOX, but that’s not the news I long for….We all live in little areas..they may be inside large cities or on farms, distant from neighbors, however, we all desire to be close to one another….The local newspaper, whether it is weekly, bi weekly, in the morning or in the evening, binds our hearts, our lives, our dreams, and it extends the hand of friendship to all.
When traveling thru Tennessee, I read about the lives of folks in Nashville, Knoxville, and all the little towns in between. I look at their housing, their taxes, as well as their squabbles with local, county and state government. It truly does my heart good to see that we are pretty much the same, regardless of our proximity to one another. Soccer might be hot in So. California, but football is the game in Louisiana. High school football barely makes it in some western states, however, in Indiana, and the Ohio Valley, the homes are empty on Fri. night cause they are at the game. In the assisted care facilities…..everyone is in their room…..not cause they feel bad….but in season….it is basketball and football that keeps the lights on late into the night.
And last but not least…I love the ads…Where am I going to find so easily…..the for rent and for sale section, the used car section, the misc. for sale section, the legal announcement section, the inside ads for carpet, granite, hot dogs. 2 for 1, picking fresh blueberries, and the editorial section, including all the letters to the editor. So much entertainment, so much knowledge, so much life…..and all available in the paper.
So go ahead, read the Internet, learn that Tiger won his 74th, that the Supreme Court did or did not make the right decision, and the high in Las Vegas will be 104…..but for me, I’ll use it as backup only…..cause it is the paper…..I truly love.
On the road again……and I’ll be writing about all the things swirling around in my small brain. I know I should be doing this at night….when the thoughts are free and the past is present, but I’ve been on the road and away from a ‘writing machine’…..sure do miss those typewriters….I could really go fast on those babies, and the keys of the Selectric, were just in the right spot. Oh Well…
Been visiting wonderful friends, wonderful family, wonderful old towns that are well known in my heart. Have welcomed back memories of our family home, the high school I graduated from 50 years ago this year…..and wonderful country auctions,full of lifetimes treasures, awaiting new homes..
The corn is truly ‘higher than an elephant’s eye’ but the yards are crisp from lack of rain. Hostas outline beautiful neighborhood homes and the Dairy Queen is packed kids. Little League is in full swing, and the lights glow until at least 10 each evening.
The swimming pool is busy and the park is full of picnics and teens ‘polishing their cars’ under the shade of the oak, maple, and walnut.
Golfers tee off early….really really early……cause 9 holes before they get to work is just a wonderful way to start the day.
Joggers are jogging…..walkers are walking, and gentle hands covered with garden gloves tend the faded blooms of roses and petunias.
Vacation Bible School is commencing…..swimming lessons are in full swing….tennis, and basketball courts are full of one or ten.
Yes, I’m ‘on the road again’ and it is a refreshing journey to the present and of the past.
SUM-SUM-SUMMERTIME…… WHEN I WAS A KID
I remember……(and that’s saying a lot sometime), how it was to be a kid on Outer Drive South in the summertime……It was outstanding……but, I’m sure, not by today’s kid rating. We played….I mean really played. We played outdoors…..in the yard, under the magnificent shade of maple trees. We day dreamed with the clouds..as they displayed magical formations, that, in turn, gave us magical ideas. We played in sandboxes, using spatulas, sifters, rocks, wood, and whenever, Tonka. We had peanut butter sandwiches, a banana, and milk for lunch before heading for the summer afternoon…..or the ever favorite, grilled cheese and an apple..
There was always the sprinkler to keep us cool, and then we would all lay in the grass, looking for a 4 leaf clover, as the sun cooked the landscape. We played hopscotch, using rocks for chalk, and when it got to be close to suppertime, we’d sit on the front step and wait for our daddy to come home
We didn’t know about air conditioning…..well, we did, but it was called….a fan. Our grandparents had ‘summer kitchens’ to keep the house cool, and we had summer porches, screened in rooms where we slept when going for a visit.
There was always the ice cream man and we could set our watches by him…..money was not in abundance, so it was truly a treat when we got change from the house to get something.
There was a field in the back of our house, even tho we lived in town. One year it was corn, and the next beans, then maybe it was weeds for a year or two…..It was our ‘extended’ playground….close to home for safety and yet a place to run races, and hide between the stalks.
There were girls and boys, but not girlfriends and boyfriends…..C’mon, this was in the 50’s when kids actually acted like kids. TV’s were what the ‘rich people’ had…..and Mickey Mouse was just beginning his club of followers.
When the sun went down, it was time for ‘kick the can’….only to be played at night…..and did we play. We had at least 3 houses each way, plus the ‘field’. The ‘gas thing’ out in the front yard next door was ‘home’ and 10 kids disappeared and reappeared, running in for ‘free’, as the lightning bugs covered the fields of hazy central Indiana.
When mother range the bell, it was the close of the day……we would scamper from wherever and whatever we were doing…..cause the bell always ment ‘come and come NOW’.
Oh, summer days are still beautious, and the lightning bugs still hover the cornfields, but the memories of being a kid in the 50’s, can hardly be duplicated…..It was so, so very special.
obits….good reading for grads.
learn good life lessons in reading about others…..especially those who have just departed. A job well done by them, thru feast and famine….another chance to see just what it takes, in the lives of most of us ordinary folks.
OBITUARIES……..GOOD LESSONS OF LIFE
As one ages, their perspective of life, in general, tends to become mundane and then intense in a matter of moments. When once Christmas came every million years, it now comes every three months. When the difference between a 2nd grader and a 4th grader was, like grandparents and kids, it is now the age difference of people we befriend,date, maybe and marry.
And, as we age, we lose lots of things, including a firm body, naturally blond hair, the ability to wear a 2 piece anything, chemistry formulas, and friends.
For this reason, I’ve begun reading the obituaries. I no longer live in the same town where I was born or raised, however, I to cling to many wonderful memories and friendships. It still is a surprise, however, to see friends die. I am 68…..and, as one once stated, “68 when I look in the mirror, and 28 when I look away”.
Today, I see the obituary of one gal I never knew personally, however, it would have been a pleasure to meet. Her name is Joan and she was born in Pittsburg, Pa. on a wintry day in December. She grew up loving softball, tennis and the outdoors. She was married to Alan for 58 years and together, they ran a honeybee business. Joan laughed and cried. She loved and forgave. She learned and blossomed with her kids, cherishing the opportunity to work in her community.
Then there was Al, who died at age 91 after a brief illness. Al formerly lived in Akron, Ohio before retiring. He served in the Army and was in Vietnam for 9 years with the 101st Airborne where he earned many badges and medals. He loved his wife Sarah and they were married for over 42 years.After his tours, he became a policeman and was very very proud of his work there.
Helen passed away having lived the wonderful profession of being a housewife and professional in small midwestern town. She and her parents and siblings had grown up during the depression, farming their land next to her grandparents. She became a nurse and worked until her children were born. After the third one was in school, she went back to her beloved nursing and worked for another 20 years. She was active in her church, in scouting, and dedicated to husband and children. She left children, grand and great-grand children, and many friends.
All of these wonderful, ordinary people, touched more wonderful and ordinary people, to make this life better. They may have had gardens, they may have volunteered at church, they may have done bake sales, and they may have invented what you use today. And now they are a memory.
When I was a kid, I believed my parents, and grandparents, would live forever. Now I know….they do live forever, only here in my heart, and in their heaven together. So as my heart aches for family and friends, theirs are rejoicing as they are, once again, reunited with family and friends. Who knows,…….they may talk about their abundant gardens, or how they made it out of the war. They may remember the depression, and also the Christmas of 47, as their children waited for Santa. And, I hope they remember us…….
Til we meet again…..
PIN/PENCUL AND PAPUR
Florida is having to come to terms with low FCAT scores at the moment….Why, because for the FIRST time ever, they are being scored on punctuation and spelling…..never had to do that before. Later, have to find a pin and papur
seriouslyscorpio 