The Reenactment-Friday & Saturday

One of the bright spots in the sadness and celebration during the past week is the reenactment that took place with grandkids, Addison and Joell. And a new photo op happened with Gavin included.

Twelve years ago, when Grandma Sandy passed away, Addison and Joell were toddlers. Yes, toddlers. They held the funeral luncheon at the same place as yesterday. All these years later, Blake suggested the kids reenact the photo that was so meaningful to all of us. The love these cousins have for each other was apparent in spades.

Then and Now

Where did the last twelve years go? These two have been learning, growing, and experiencing life. And the adventures they’ve had! Addison is in high school, Joell in middle school. Their six-month difference in age is enough to make a year’s difference in high school. They both excel both in physically demanding endeavors; competition/school dance teams and competitive swimming. Joell is a thoughtful young man who tunes in well to the mood of the room. He might come over and give a hug on his own. He shows his love and affection for all his family, and isn’t afraid to. This is a wonderful quality.

These two are now including Gavin in their adventures. It’s fun for Gavin to be with the big kids; it’s fun for Joell to have a boy to share games with. They did another pose including Gavin this time. Another beautiful memory. Everyone, take more photos. Record your family living life. Include weddings, funerals, baptisms and graduations. You’d rather have too many pics than wish you’d taken one at every chance.

I appear in very few photos with the Babe. We are going to change that. We are attempting to take the time to record everyday life. The ordinary. The stuff we see day to day. Because, one day, one of us won’t be here. It’s part of life. The kids are learning those hard lessons. I believe faith is a huge part of dealing with death, loss, grief, and happiness. When we accept these parts of life with grace, it’s then we truly live. Learn by doing.

The Loves of Our Lives

We need to tell part of our family goodbye today as they return home. We all go back to our lives this afternoon. And they all have a space in them where our loved one was before. Lou, you’re always in our hearts. We will take your lessons in making the world a better place forward, spreading your love further, if possible, than you did. Hug your loved ones. And take photos. Lots of them. See you tomorrow.

Baking Frenzy Update

I surprised myself by actually feeling some Christmas cheer by doing some baking. I made two kinds of fruit cake, one with rum and darker fruits, one with whiskey and lighter fruits. We’ll open them at our New Years Eve Party at the VFW Post. I talked of making one for a long time; I held myself accountable and did it this year. Hope my friends like it, there are four loaves to consume!

Once I started mixing the concoctions, I realized my mood changed. Maybe it’s a sugar rush by osmosis? Anything is possible, and whatever it is from, I need to feel that way more often. Note to self: Put that into your plan for next year’s self-awareness. It feels as if it can lead to good things.

I would imagine creating something with flour, butter, sugar, spices, and other ingredients releases some sort of endorphins reserved for feel good feelings. Celebrations do that. Baking for a special holiday is a celebration and remembrance of traditions. My daily meditation is about celebrations today. Very fitting. Some folks celebrate (use alcohol or drugs) to escape reality, to become less conscious of the world around him or her. It’s sad when even a child’s birthday party turns into another reason to get high or drunk.

Celebration is an opportunity to re-create, refresh, and even remake our spirit. I never thought of it in that way, before. I’m in the midst of remaking my spirit, I can see it in my writing. I’m learning new ways to lift my spirit. New experiences are coming, new ideas are forming, and a new spirit is emerging. I’m so excited to see what’s next for me and the Babe. It should be great.

Our lives can be a lot happier by considering ordinary things a celebration. In the spring and summer, when the Babe and I sit on the deck for morning coffee, it’s a celebration. When we have happy hour on the deck or patio, it’s a celebration. When my bestie Kris and I go to a movie, it’s a celebration. See how easy that is? Practice it.

As a side note, there are two batches of cookies resting in the refrigerator, I’m excited to get to use my Pampered Chef scoops to make them. Silly? It’s a celebration. The Babe can’t hardly wait to eat some. And I’l do Croation Nut Bread too. And it’s a beautiful memory of my first mother-in-law. She made this incredible bit of heaven for Easter and Christmas. I came across the recipe in the cookbook from the Omaha World Herald. The name is Croation Povitica. It’s perfect for Christmas.

Enjoy the rest of the day. It’s a celebration of you. And of me. And your child. And your Grandma. You’ll be happy in ways you never though existed. It’s happening. And I’m going to learn from these last few weeks. You can make happiness and a positive attitude your new normal, despite bad things in the world, in your family, in your head. See you tomorrow!

Tuesday Visiting Friends

Hope you had a beautiful day. We did. The Babe had a day off from his Post duties today. We went to visit some favorite friends we haven’t seen in a while. They are also both retired and have grown children too. The woman is experiencing health issues, which will be permanent. They are such good people, and you hate to see this happen. Especially during these times.

Our visit was delightful. The man in so funny, we had a lot of wonderful laughs. It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a friendly visit. We will go back sooner this time. No doubt we will have a lot of time to spend with them. I hope so. The old saying is true, it’s good to have friends where you can pick back up where you left off. These are those friends. We are so blessed!

If it feels as if your elevator is out of order, maybe you need a change in routine. Sometimes we do from the monotony of everyday life. It gets monotonous doing the same thing day after day. Getting outside of yourself and doing something for others can add something to your life no doctor could prescribe. Giving does something to the mind and feeling of wellbeing that is hard to find. We all need to be active with others to live in the world.

Making a choice, taking a chance in life can change everything. Take the risk. It can be a little one. When you succeed, you’ll become bolder. You will gain confidence. You will take another risk. A calculated one. More success! Things change. Slowly and surely. You have made a change. Be proud of yourself! Do some more. It’s amazing where you go.

The self-help meme above names many things I do when things get to be too much. Too much sadness, listen to music. It’s a great escape. Writing about some things long ago has helped me feel better than I used to about myself at certain ages. The Babe and I grew up during a time our parents expected certain things from us and did not inflate our egos at all. No “Good Job!” for baby-boomers. No “You’re amazing!” either. Just a lot of “Next time do it perfect.” or “Next time, you can do better.”

When I read a good fiction book, the story makes me travel through time, whether it’s a WWII historical fiction book or a tale of Irish immigrants coming to America. The clock becomes a blur and I’m taken away on a magical trip. I love reading. Always have. I can only hope to do it forever. Mom has vision issues since her stroke, that is unfortunate. She cannot use audio books because of her profound deafness. That limits her access. My younger brother bought her a super duper bright flashlight she calls “The Beacon.” She laughs about it but sure uses it for when she needs a – well, a beacon – to find something she cannot see. She usually can locate the missing item. Good for her!

Tomorrow is the rheumatologist and the ortho guy. Checking on the arthritis and getting the last of 2 shots in each knee. I have to say, I’ve definitely noticed how the cold makes every joint in my body just hurt. I can’t attribute to anything but acknowledging we’re aging. It’s definitely not for sissies.

Being around longtime friends reminds us of that; yet it’s great, because I’ve known those friends for over forty years, from when we were younger than our kids are now. And we exchange the lies none of us have changed, but we know the truth. Friends always do. And that’s why we remain friends.

Call some of your lifetime friends during this Christmas season. Renew the friendships you had that are important. If they’re strong, they’re still viable. Seriously. You’ll enjoy catching up. And you’ll all enjoy the time. You’ll gather again. Before you run out of time. You’ll be glad you did. Be Safe out there. See you tomorrow.

Monday Happiness

No, it didn’t even snow this much, but I thought the photo was pretty. While I was writing an article for our VFW Post 2503 Website, it fell gently at first, then the flakes fell faster. The article described our experience helping collect winter clothing for homeless Vets. With the snow today, I felt so happy for about thirty people who would have a nice, warm coat, several pairs of new socks, and water resistant boots.

I spent time today picking up a dress to alter for a girl my son works with. I haven’t done that for a while, but it’ll be a fun thing. It usually is. The weather was just wet and cold by then, snow melted. The pretty scenes are gone. It will snow more this year, I’m sure.

This Keto eating is going well, we both have more energy. However, it’s a lot of work! When you cook your own meals, there is planning, shopping, following recipes, searching for ingredients. We’ve tried to find smoked paprika for a few weeks. Finally, at the little Mom and Pop store in town. They usually come through. Thanks, Babe!

After I got home, I prepped tomorrow’s breakfast and baked it. Then it’s make something for dinner. Nothing much is quick any more, unless you have a salad with hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham, turkey, and veggies in it. That may be dinner tomorrow. Yep, we’ll make HB eggs tomorrow, and some more bagels. Those are weird. Melting Mozzarella cheese until liquid, you mix in some new “flour”, and mix up the stuff. I couldn’t get it to roll out very well last time. It was more like string cheese instead of a “rope” to create a bagel from. Practice will help, I’m sure. We can both tell our bodies are changing. The weight loss isn’t huge, we’re both about 10 – 15 pounds. But we’re not hungry, and are going to eat Keto for Thanksgiving, too. I’ll make sugar free cranberry sauce, loaded baked “cauliflower” potatoes, and loads of raw veggies. We’ll have Keto Pumpkin bars with real whipped cream. It should be a splendid feast.

Tomorrow, we’ll have more to visit about, it’s just a little before bedtime now and should have info on a mask mandate in our little town. We have a high rate of folks at our local church, causing everything to be cancelled in person. So sad. Take care, be safe out there.

Wedding, Take Two

Today marks the second wedding this cute COVID COUPLE will have this year. Originally, the nuptials were to be in April, and we all know how that turned out, with quarantine and cancellation. Two of my cousin’s daughter’s planned weddings this year. One (the August one) went off without a hitch, we socially distanced, and it was good. Katelynne and Marc Lile were legally married on their original date. The party will be today after they renew their vows.

What a novel way to start out. Initially, it was devastating. To be a young couple and having to cancel their plans had to be heartbreaking. They learned very early to add humor to a bad situation and it lightens the load for everyone. The photo says it all, I think. The Groom, I believe gets credit for this lovely photo they posted on their Facebook account. It says it all. The families made the best of a bad situation. I applaud that.

If you have any life experience, you know this won’t be the worst thing that happens for any young couple. They have shown early on they have great skills, coping with a bad situation that is out of their hands. They have great promise for their future, which is built on love, partnership, and determination. Congratulations, Katelynne and Marc.

All of this is a great example of how whatever happens in life, we can learn to roll with it, or make it ruin every day from here forward. I don’t take lightly events like loss of health, death, murder, etc., so just know I’m not minimizing recovery from those terrible things. This change of date for the reception was devastating, but they chose to re-frame it and remember it with grace and laughter. It is still a serious commitment with the vows, and there will be great stories to tell their grandchildren. Amen to that.

My “work” for today is to straighten up my studio office, write the blog, do some research, and watch a free Instagram training video I missed earlier this week. I think it will be worthwhile. It’s awesome people offer it for free. Of course, it’s to lure you into buying more training for a fee, but at least you can try it ahead of time and see if it’s a fit or worth it for you. The Instagram training will be benefit my author page and the VFW Post 2503 page I’ll be unveiling later this month. I’m fortunate to be in a position to gain personally and professionally from it. God’s showing me the way again!

There is a lot of confusion among our kids with school, in class, at home, no athletics, and I believe people are dealing with much more than some can handle. Of course, one may say it’s easy for a retired person like me, but we still are very concerned with out grandchildren who are of school age. These changes are not easy for them. Our grandson Joell is an only child, so if we go to quarantine again, he will have no kid contact except by video game contact with other kids. I think he plays a game with Gavin, across the country. Some kids don’t have that. I’m unsure what our answers to any of this should be. All some of us can do is pray. Pray with all we’ve got.

We can’t give up, as those isolated elderly people are reportedly doing in some nursing homes. My heart breaks for them all. I know how the Babe’s Mom would look forward to everyone visiting her. She had probably the most company of anyone in the entire place. She was a very nice lady. MS ravaged her body, she couldn’t move on her own, but she could talk, and talk she did!

Did she complain? Very little. I know it was easier for us being away in Omaha, and the kids in Sioux Falls handled a lot more than we did, but she always asked about the lives of the people visiting her. She had a way, even before she was bedridden, to make you feel so important. She had a way with people. God Bless Her. I want to be a Liz. I want to make life normal despite the bad things going on around us. I want people to smile again, to crack jokes, to make light of themselves. We have to keep going. We cannot give up our will to do so. Please. It will be worth it on the other side of this pandemic.

Let’s keep doing everything we can to be positive, polite, courteous, kind, thoughtful, and share what we have. Time is the most important commodity at work here. Time, caring, love, lead to interaction and making a difference. Make a difference in someone’s life this weekend. You have until Tuesday morning to accomplish it. What a way to start the first full week of September! It will be a great start to the fall months ahead. Be safe, Wear a mask, Wash up. It’ll all be worth it when we’re safe again. See you tomorrow! Thank you for reading.

Friday, Blessed Friday

At last, we have a family wedding to attend today. This cousin did not have to reschedule her big day, thank goodness. It should be a lot of fun for everyone. This family is so sweet, they are all wonderful human beings. It will be beautiful weather, too. Maybe a little rain, but nothing huge. Every day is a perfect day for two people who love each other to get married. We will socially distance, and if it becomes too crowded, we’ll go home.

Photo by Lum3n on Pexels.com

Parents and educators are getting pretty upset with wondering about the virus and kids in school all day. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. Superintendents everywhere are expected to be able to predict the future, and they cannot. No one really can. The experts cannot even agree with all the information, real or not, that is circulating out there. All we can do is prepare for anything. Prepare to homeschool again in a month or so. It may very well ramp up again. Omaha, Nebraska is one area that is ramping up in number of cases. We are steering clear of very large crowds, and distancing when we are out. I hope and pray our grandkids do not become ill, or my mom.

My Pro Writing Aid software add-ons for Chromebook are behaving strangely. While it does a great job of generating reports full of improvements, the format is no longer correct after making and saving changes. Big problem! All sentences are left justified, all centered words, like chapter numbers are left justified. That shouldn’t happen. I’ll have to ask their tech people about it. I may have to use the software on my Microsoft O/S laptop, and not on the Chromebook. I could save each chapter to the cloud, then run Pro Writing Aid reports on it there. Maybe things would stay in place then. (It’d be saved as a Word Doc, not a Google Doc).

Yes, Be Stronger Than Your Storm

There are many, many storms out there being fought by many, many people. Women, Men, Children, Elderly, Young, Middle-aged. Some fight against demons most cannot imagine, thank goodness. But, oh those with unimaginable demons, we don’t judge you by what’s been done to you. It is not your fault at all. Some people’s bad choices create storms, such as a gambler or an alcoholic. Some people learn bad behavior, such as spousal abuse and child abuse. These are not normal things in a life. You should not experience these things at all, as a child or participate in them as an adult. You need to gain power over these storms. Power over the storms and your life; and your future. It can change if you want it to. Yes, it is hard work. There is help.

Know there are people who can help you, regardless of the issue. Reaching our is very hard. It is the first step out of the storm. One step up and two steps back happens often. Don’t give up. It’s worth it.

I hope you find some peace this weekend. Enjoy your days, however they come about. Sometimes, things go nothing but wrong no matter what you do. Other days are perfect, no matter what you do. Have one that’s in between the two. Thank you for reading, I’m grateful you did. I’ll be back tomorrow, and hope to see you then. Be Careful out there. Be safe. Be Kind.