We have had a long day today, as far as the girls and I go.
Zusher is nestled in front of the tree and from all of us, to you, gentle reader, we want to thank you for following the blog, and wish for you the happiest and healthiest of 2017!
Month: December 2016
Dziadziu on East Street
Dziadziu, in Polish, means Grandfather.
My Mom’s family lived in Manayunk, a section of Philadelphia, and “Dziadziu” on East Street was always referred to as that to distinguish him from my Dad’s dad, or my other Dziadziu.
Dziadziu on East Street was a kind man, and very patient.Some of my finest memories of my childhood are sitting with him on the bench in the back yard and him letting me babble on.He would let me sit with him and count the freckles on his balding head and chuckle about it.
Today, 46 years ago, he left me quite suddenly.Pneumonia took him from us in three quick days.We were all in shock.I have no doubt that he is with my Babci, Grandmother, in heaven.That is their wedding picture in this post. They were married in 1920 and he passed away in December 1970, a little of 50 years later.
It’s a good way to wrap up this year, remembering him and his life.He was a good guy.
I miss you everyday, Dziadziu, and will love you forever.
My Kasia Girl
What a hoot!
At the ripe old age of 7, it seems as if television has decided that it’s time for a ton of commercials with ringing doorbells and Kasia gets up and runs to the door.
Now if only I could get her to answer the door…. lol
So?
Yes, I watch the Hallmark Channel.
I get grief about it.
Some of the stories are strangely similar to the old “movie-of the week” format, except, so far, it’s not about murders and mayhem.I would assume the whole thing is somewhat equivalent to reading Barbara Cartland novels, with the exception that no bodice ripping occurs as it’s on cable where, I guess, kids can see it.I am a pushover for a happy ending, I guess.
Now, I have the E! channel on and the movie on is “No Strings Attached” with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a relationship that starts out as sex only.
It seems like there’s no happy medium. Guess it’s time to go back to reading biographies again.
Hoping to Hang In
My Zush is laying with me as I sit here watching “All The President’s Men”. I guess, like her two legged mother, she was a history major in a prior life…. lol
I am hoping that Zush keeps hanging in with me. There are times that she’ll look over at me, and I look back, and I think we both feel the same. We are feeling pain, but we both go slower, as if we know we are savoring what time we have together.I keep storming heaven with my prayers.We are hoping for another year together, and are thankful for each day together.It makes 2017 a dream for a fur Mom, her bestie and her pup sister.
“One day at a time.”
As the Year Wraps Up
Our newest fatality in the 2016 death watch was announced-Carrie Fisher.
How sad. She was 60 years old.
What’s even sadder is the attention the press gives the list of those passing. It doesn’t seem as if births get as much attention.
Rest In Peace.
Taking A Day
Tomorrow I turn, God willing, 57.
Not too cheesy, considering I was due to check out at 33 from my first cancer.I am fortunate to have Jim, who has stood by me through some hard times.
I am going to spend quality time and prayerful time remembering all in my life, regardless if they are are still with me or gone.It is sad that despite going through everything I have, regarding my cancer history, it still tends to be just another day as you get older.
Please keep prayers going for Zush, who is having paw issues and may have to get a vet visit in tomorrow.The best present I get is every day I wake up and put two feet on the floor and I have both my girls with me.I have been blessed with them in my life.
Shocker…not…..
My knee is “f”‘d up again.
I am due to work with 5 year olds on Friday and the podiatrist who initially diagnosed my tendonopothy said I needed to invest in firmer shoes.
Well, like a dummy, I listened to him, and wore the shoes for 3 hours on Saturday.Now, below the right hand corner of my knee cap on my left knee, I have a helluva bite pain.
This is, IMHO,falling under the “when it rains it pours” category.
If there is some relief tomorrow, well, I’ll lay low and hope for the best.If not, I guess I’ll traveling to Somers’ Point for my birthday.
Tra-la-la-la…you know the rest….ppppbt!
Not Into It
It has been a hard day today.
I think, like a lot of people who have had loss in their life, the closer you get to Christmas the harder it is to deal with.People who still have all their family haven’t a clue as to what the loss does to you at this time of the year.Things happened today that just seemed to put me over the edge, and I can honestly say I have not cried this much and felt this low in a long time.It’s hard, because I used to love this week and now, I can’t believe that I have turned into one of those people who can’t wait for February, so December would be over.
It is sad, and when I think of my “past” life”, I think this is what makes me tear up the most.I guess I need to put the sadness of the past in its place, and the fear of the future in it’s place.I just have got to live in this moment.
Working to the End
Jim is getting ready to work two , or a possible three days this week. In the meanwhile, I am gearing up for my sole day of work this term, which is this coming Friday. After all, I figured I’d try the ankle out, and if there was residual pain,well, I’d have Christmas break to lay low.
We are going to my BFF’s Juls and Tim for New Years’eve and First night. I am hoping the girls will be ok and we’ll have peace among pup kind.
Enjoy the rest of the holiday preparations and make sure you remember the reason for the season!
Happy Birthday Mom!
I’d like to think that the temperature is divine in heaven, so this picture I picked for a blog for Mom would be pretty good, even though it’s December.December 18th would be Mom’s 94th birthday here on earth, but I am sure there is a good time going on in heaven, complete with her family, my Dad, my niece and her friends.
I miss my Mom every day.At this point of my life, I think back mostly to the last 5 years of her life when she had the subdural hematoma and lapsed into dementia.That Mom was so different from the Mom who took care of me as I grew up. I have good memories of childhood, but the last years of Mom were an experience I’ll never forget. I got to see a different side of her, to experience a different side of her, and in a way, it was like coming full circle.
I miss you every day,Mommy and will love you forever.
Just Singing in theRain
So after breakfast today, Greg and I took the girls for a walk. It was teeming rain, but you know that when a girl has to go….
So now we are back resting at the house. We need to go to Mass tonight and get ready for our neighbors’ Christmas party tonight.
After all, you must look your best for the party!
Going Up
So when you think things are really low, little surprises pop up to change your day.
My nephew Greg is here for a much anticipated visit. It actually is nice to have my family here for once. We played Monopoly and went walking with the girls.
When we had come in, there were some parcels delivered.One was an early gift from my friend Duch. It was something to help me keep things in perspective-a red baseball hat with a dog on it and it says “Tail Therapy.”
Then I got two great cards from my bud Juls- one for my birthday which was so lovely and a barking card for Christmas! It was nice to feel loved.
Appreciation is highly underrated.
That Time of Year
My neighbor is holding her annual holiday party this Saturday.It also coincides with my nephew Greg’s visit,so he’ll be coming with us. It actually is a fun party.
The only problem was I usually time my gift to my immediate neighbors with her party. I had to stop and actually get myself together today and make my homemade chocolate covered pretzels, pretzel joy and broken chocolate bark.
I was going to post this last night, but didn’t realize an Apple update would make it puzzling for me to do.Thanks God for Apple: I can honestly say their tech support never let me down. It may be 24 hours later, but here’s the post, complete with a shot of one of the Utz canisters.
The girls went out with me and in the freezing cold, and we gave all but one of the neighbor gifts out and now we are done. Warm and safe like bugs in a rug.
Good night!
Losing It
It has really been a really stressing 48 hours, and yes,I know you who deal with this every day and with physical infirmities to boot are reading this and going “So?…”
Sometimes life really can push all your emotional buttons.I was so low last night and the commercial for the movie “A Dog’s Purpose”came on. Zush was laying in front of the television and I just cried for 30 minutes straight.The fact that it’s a time of year for most folks to be happy and jolly and I struggle daily to keep my stuff together doesn’t help much.The memories, good, bad, or indifferent, trigger another round of emotional cartwheels.
I have no biological sisters, but want to thanks my “sisters” who are there for me, and, unfortunately,let me cry on their shoulder today.It’s nice to have friends.In that respect, I am blessed.
That’s my post for today so hopefully, by writing this, I will be able to put this issue to bed and work on finding some holiday spirit.
**whispering**
“Come out, come out, wherever you are…..
Some Days are Lemons
The day was really lousy today, mentally and physically, I just wished I was anywhere else.
I went through the day going through my paces, laundry, Christmas cookies, dog walking, cooking…and then I decided that I’d try to check the beach.
I took two shots of the sunset, as it was as though my mind couldn’t fully comprehend that it was a December sunset over water.I had been used to looking over frozen driveways, sidewalks, and the like, when the sun was going down-never a sunset over water.
So when I have a lemon of a day as I did today, the sunset that was on its’ way down did it’s share to help pull my spirits up.
Good night!
Joining the Huddled Masses…
…getting ready for the holiday.
My nephew, Greg, is due to visit this coming Friday for the weekend.I have gotten the polar fleece sheets ready on his bed, but have also been using that room to store Christmas presents in so I guess I have to get busy wrapping.
I finished decorating the front porch,as I had a batch of green garland left and figured I’d wrap it around our wooden bench.It actually looks pretty good-all that’s missing is Santa Claus!
Managed to get an oven stuffer roaster in the oven, but no chance of me starting my annual chocolate covered pretzels for our neighbors.Maybe it’s the couple of loads of wash I squeezed in or dog walks….
Well, I still have Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, right?
Roger,Friendship 7
I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s , and if we were in class when any space craft was due to launch, chances were good that the nun or teacher has a black and white television in our classroom so we could watch it.
Honestly, I knew it was an event of historical standing, but, growing up, spaceships really didn’t rock my world.
Then,as an adult, I saw the movie,” The Right Stuff.”
This epic saga somehow held my attention and since then, I have read and viewed anything I could get my hands on.Be they documentaries on You-Tube or Netflix, or books by James Lovell on Apollo 13, I devoured it.
On February 20,1962, John Glenn, in his spacecraft Friendship 7, beat the flights made by Alan Shepherd and Gus Grissom by orbiting the globe.He was later, at age 77,back in space to read the Space Shuttle.
Now, at age 95, John Glenn has gotten the ok from the Eternal Mission Control for endless heavenly orbits.
Godspeed, John Glenn, and thank you!
Road Trip
We’re up too early this morning, part from aches and pains, and part from our trip up the road for my Orthopaedic appointment.
I’m sure that I’d love to be done with physical therapy, but of course, that’ll be the doctor’s call.It’s kind of infuriating in that we have a gym in our back yard, and at this point, the exercises can be done on steps and basic equipment.
We are going, probably, to take the gals with us,so this way we all get a new view.Although it is starting to get as cold as it should be for early December, sometimes you need a change of view.
Hopefully, we’ll get good news from the doctor to get us back home and warm quick’
One of Those Weeks
Physical therapy was my first stop of the week and that was this morning.
There is another appointment on Wednesday with those folks, and they are busy taking measurements of my ankle and foot, as my referral is up on Wednesday and on Thursday I get the joy of having to go up to Somers’Point to see my Orthopedic doctor, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get sprung out of the physical therapy prison.
My foot still doesn’t feel right, but I think to the fact that it was August 31st when it was diagnosed with the tendonopothy.It’s a heck of a while to be going through this. I am hoping that we can figure something else out, especially since I am due to work for a day on the 23rd and on January 18th, hoping my foot is ok enough to get through a day.
It’s after reading what I have just written that I don’t wonder why I am waiting for February 1st. I am sure I’d enjoy the holidays if I was more in the frame of a well body to enjoy them.Don’t get me wrong; I will as best as I can, but the ghost of Christmas past make me so wistful.
Thanks Dad
When I was in college, my father and I would travel up to State College, Pennsylvania to attend Penn State University football games. My two older brothers were married, and I was the only one home with him, besides Mom.When I was in grade school, I qualified for free Philadelphia Phillies tickets because of good grades so we would always go together.It seemed that I went to more sporting events with my Dad than my brothers did!
Last night, Penn State played the University of Wisconsin for the Big 10 football championship.It was funny, because my oldest nephew attended the University of Wisconsin and my brother and their family live out there.My brother in the city graduated from Penn State in 1972.Dad would root for everyone, and truth be told, I know he always liked Notre Dame, but he leaned a lot toward Penn State. When I got in last night, I went to my clothes closet and pulled out a 20-year-old ratty, torn flannel shirt that was my Dad’s.I wore it all during the game last night.I actually felt like Dad was here with me.
One of the favorite bumper stickers I have ever seen regarding Penn State football was,” If God isn’t a Penn State fan, then why is the sky blue and white?”
Thanks, Dad.
Buh-bye Fit Bit
If you have followed this blog with any regularity, you know I have been pretty faithful to my Fit Bit zip.Through rain, snow, sleet, falls, whatever.
Yesterday,my zip was stuck on 9997.I could have been walking until the cows came home and the number just would not budge off of 9997. So I did what any consumer with a few gray cells would do. I called customer service phone number of Fit Bit and was never treated so rudely by any company. They made a final offer to me of 25% of a new zip.I said that the error was in THEIR equipment, and they WANT me to BUY a new one? Well, it’s not going to happen.I have a iPhone SE which has a health app, and guess what? As of 4:29PM today, I have walked 8532 steps.
See you, FB zip.Have got to give you credit:you DID get me started walking.As someone who is retired, I don’t see why I have to spend money for a new one, when my phone does just as good as you.
P.S. As of 10:17PM, I have 15,281 steps today…just sayin’
A Little Gift
When we left the city and came down here, I brought some of the plants down. I would have liked to keep all of them but, alas, there was no room. If I could have had my way, I would have had big windows so I could have all my plants in the house all winter.
In the summer, I would put most of the plants outside, but the ones that I thought would have an issue going in and outdoors, well,they stayed indoors.After all the love I give my plants, when I lose one, it really hurts.I have the last poinsettia that my Mom was given and have been nursing that, along with her aloe vera.It goes without saying I am super careful watering and caring for them.
Being a December baby, I usually end up buying myself a plant as a gift, although last year, our neighbors bought me a beautiful poinsettia.As I really love my birth month flowers, I went out and bought myself a Christmas cactus.
Well, I got a present today. My plant started to blossom again and it gave me my first genuine smile in a while.
As my buddy Belinda would say,
“Happy birthday month to ME!”
December
It’s going to be a long month.
We both are suffering body aches and poor Zush is hanging in as best as she can. I talked to a neighbor when I was out today, whose wife has been fighting cancer for FOUR years, and it seems that she is about to lose her struggle, which is so very sad, because he is a good guy and his wife is a sweetheart.When people remark when I tell them my cancer history, I am always blessed, but know how hard it is to keep going.
I watched the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center tonight, and remembered when I saw it with my nephew many years ago. I always give thanks for the meaning of the season, but it’s hard to stay in a Christmas spirit alone. It’s the way it goes though. We muddle through one day at a time, and as for me, I guess my Christmas gift is every time I get up at night, hear my Zush snoring gently, and am able to swing two legs out of bed and stand up. My birthday gift, yes: it is my birthday month, is the ability to spend every precious day with my girls.
They are the best pharmaceutical for me.I thank God for them!
thereisnosanityclause 