Can I put this day in a jar and open it again... soon?

Saturday.

Sunshine!

71 degrees.

Almost no humidity.

Thankful today for a beautiful day...

There is absolutely NO schedule

 - no firm plans - 

- no long to-do list - 

- nothing squashing my face - 

and everything to be thankful for.  

Hubby is home.  

Cat is healthy and following me everywhere as 

I wander freely through my house, 

simply accomplishing things without pressure.

A gentle breeze flows into our open windows 

and filters through the open blinds.

Birds are singing, sheets are hanging out on a clothesline drying, 

and simple pleasures are being enjoyed.

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it! 

(Psalm 118:24)

So thankful for my Daddy's genes...

As I look ahead to next Sunday being Father's Day, I admit that I miss my Dad even though it wasn't the easiest life with him.  He was rough around the edges, but he left a legacy of himself within me and I'm thankful for him.  He was unique (as each of us is) and the genes he passed along gave me some of his uniqueness.

From my Dad I inherited an innate ability to wake up at any given time without setting an alarm.  There is something he had that I inherited which is not unlike an internal button of an internal alarm clock.  When do I need to wake up at?  Done. No problem.  My eyes open at that time the next morning.

He also gave me mechanical aptitude: an ability to fix objects and figure out what's wrong with non-working things in my realm.  He was a car mechanic in the old days, when parts were parts and a well-oiled machine was simply that.  He could gerry-rig anything to get it back together and working, and my hands have a similar sense of finagling pieces together to make them functional.  Not like my Dad, but enough so I can say “thank you” for his legacy.

And more... Persistence.  Stubbornness. An intrinsically, internally, intentional passion to get things done and completed with quality and excellence, knowing that the completion will hold my name as a signature of the project. Starting and not finishing a job makes me intensely frustrated – just like my Dad.  I will literally go without anything and everything until I can say, "It is finished" and give up my proverbial ghost – then move on to the next, and the next, and the next project.  Life.  A series of new projects! 

My Dad blessed me with the animal personality of a beaver/lion.  He had a humongous work ethic.  So did my Mom.  Because of them, the genetic pool that fills my inner being can never be a calm lake, but churns relentlessly like a white-water rafting river.  Task-focused.  Details.  Checklists. To-do's beckon for my hands and, like a magnet with a refrigerator, I'm on them.  The lion within doesn't just sniff, but bites down hard on work with passionate glee, chewing it over and over until it’s ready to be swallowed.  Need something done?  Want something done?  I'm here for you, and I'm on it with a big smile on my face. If my Dad were alive I would hear him growl, "Git 'r done!!" but my heartbeat is already there. Thanks Dad!  Your genes fit me well!

And I have my Daddy's eyes.  BLUE.  I have a picture of the two of us, taken when I was 12 and there is no mistake - the eyes are matching sets.  Intense blue.  Freaky blue, as one of my daughter's friends told her.  They came from my Dad, and I am his daughter: his only daughter.  The only girl to wear his genes: my Daddy's well-worn genes.

Genes can be both a blessing and a curse.  The beaver/lion within me can roar, bite, and be a bit scary at times - both to me and to others.  Stubborn persistence, untempered by love, can mow other, less focused people, down into the ground – and hurt.  Non-morning people, such as my loving husband, aren’t so fond of early morning internal clock followers (Proverbs 27:14).  So the internal nature that I inherited from my Mom; the sensitivity, service, and a passion for God, provides a bit of balance within me, and for THAT I am incredibly thankful.  Thanks Mom, and a happy belated Mom’s Day to you as I remember you with love after saying goodbye to you so many years ago.  Gone – not forgotten. J

Happy Father’s Day, everyone!  If you are fortunate enough to have your Dad with you, thank him for his legacy within you.  Then hug your Mom, because she’s the one who carried and birthed his child…

You. J

Last year I hit a deer with my Jeep.  First time ever – hopefully last.

It was one of those absolutely awful moments that literally smacked out of nowhere.  I was driving along a country road towards home around 10 o’clock on a warm early summer night when, out of nowhere there were… running deer - right THERE!  BOOMP!  I had exactly NO time to do anything about hitting one of them except… HITTING IT.  One moment serenity, the next... in a split second...

Stunned deer in headlights!

Many thoughts have run through my mind following this encounter with the inappropriately running deer.  How quickly life happens.  How quickly I could’ve died…

     had I been driving a small car,

           if it were a bigger deer,

                    if it would’ve been thrown through my window on impact, or…

But I didn’t.  I’m still here with things to do.  Yuh HUH!  *fist bump* 

So I put myself in the deer’s place.  Running… on a warm summer evening… running,

     running,

          running

                until the moment splits and…

*YIKES!*

Stunned deer in headlights!

Immediately the deer has 3 choices:

> become road kill

> bolt and get out of the way

> jump onto the moving vehicle and hang on for the wild ride.

And I think to myself…

How many times does “life” hit in a moment?  How many times are we simply living our days and…

     running,

          running,

                running

                         until the moment splits and…

*YIKES!*

Choice needed!

> Freeze?  Become road kill.

> Bolt – FAST – and get out of the way?

          Or……

> Jump and grab.  Grab that thing of life and grab it tight.  White-knuckle it and HANG ON – eyes wide open – adrenaline rushing – feet flying – for the wild ride.

There are times you know - immediately – in an instant – that the last choice is THE one and…

          when you jump,

it may take your breath away for the short term but, 
          when the car of life slows down just a bit…

You’ll probably look back and *sigh* be so glad you took the jump and...
          GRABBED for it…

Last month was a blur of activity, and one of the many things I chose to throw into the epic adventure was to make the shift from my trusty text/talk little Rumor to...

an Epic "Smart"phone.

Well, it's been almost a month now, and I'm still working through the consequences of adopting yet another techno-child.  Yes, I love my laptop, my Walkman, and all kinds of techno-time saving tools that enhance, enrich, and just plan ol' make my life better.  This phone... this "smart"phone... is seriously testing my stupidity and my sanity.

Android.  You have to download apps for... pretty much everything.  The phone is very limited without apps.  Once you find the great apps, it's a blast using them until you start tripping over them because they interfere with each other.  I have two apps for messaging - one combining the best features of each would be AWESOME.  I haven't found that one yet - and so it goes for GPS, music, and a lot of other things.

Let's just say it's still a bit too much of a good thing for me.  It's like sugar overload - too many candy bars rolled into one wrapper - too many toys on Christmas morning.  Plus the battery life to use all those toys is... well... let's just say all the toys can really suck the battery life.  Soooo... like a good mother, one needs to pack a bag when traveling with this little techno-child: car charger, wall charger, serial port charger.  In multiples.  In a variety of locations for emergencies.  A techno-diaper bag of sorts.

*sigh*  If I wasn't having so much fun being onlineably accessible anywhere, I'd look back and wish for the simplicity of what I left behind. Android - it's takes some getting used to, but the adventure is worth the speed bumps...

*sigh - Helping an aging parent cope with life...

Well, the time is here.  We knew it would probably come sometime, and that sometime is now.  The aging parent now needs more care than freedom.  Now we need to consider blending our lives back together again - pursuing a reversal from being the child of the parent to parenting... the parent.

My husband's 85-year-old mother has enjoyed living freely and alone since being widowed in 1998.  She and his Dad lived some distance from us when Dad succumbed to cancer, so we found a nice condo about two miles from our home for Mom to move into less than a year after he died.  She lives on one side; her widowed sister-in-law lives in the other.  We pick her up for church on Sundays, enjoy dinner with her, and see her sporadically through the week.  She's healthy and drives herself to the store, the doctor, to her friend's homes - whenever and wherever she wants.  She's enjoyed her freedom; we've enjoyed ours.  Yes, we've had times where we've needed to be closer and take care of her but, by and large, it's been a free existence for her...

Until now.

Seven years ago we put wheels into motion that will now start moving faster.  We spent time with her lawyer and put documentation together to protect her assets.  A durable power of attorney and other legal documents were filed: a will, a living will, a health care power of attorney.  We met with a financial planner to ensure her assets were not only protected, but maximized to ensure that she could enjoy life without substantial financial encumbrances.  Joint tenancy and right of ownership were all checked and double-checked: for the future.

Last month we met with the lawyer, insurer, and now are preparing to take over her day-to-day finances.  The future has become the reality: now. There are far too many who prey on older people - especially trusting old people - and she gets confused easily.  Now we're even considering the potential of a mother-in-law suite within our home - to protect the one we love.

Are you dealing with this situation - or perhaps will be in the future?  There are some great websites: www.aarp.com, www.agingparents.com and more that provide helpful online information!  It’s never too early to have a sincere, but bluntly honest talk with your loved one.  Know where their important papers are kept, where their financial assets are held, and plan together for the future.  Make sure you are legally prepared for the potential of nursing home or other long-term care.  Meet with the lawyer, the financial planner, the bank personnel to ensure asset and personal protection of your loved one.  Be prepared to take care of their day-to-day needs BEFORE the time comes because...

The time will probably come sooner than you think. Preparation will hopefully make this journey a bit easier to embark on and maneuver through… 

Wow.  It's been almost a month since I've been here!  It's not that I've forgotten - no way.  It's just...

Sometimes life has a way of getting in the way of life, and the urgencies of the necessities overwhelm the normalcy of the typical.  LIFE.

It's been a blur.  In its wake, yet a new reality and a new normalcy.  For the good.  The best?  Coming.  We're making progress. 

A new opportunity came literally out of nowhere that capitalizes and expands a number of my own passions and is now part of my daily schedule - not routine - not yet - as I form new habits and disciplines.  Ever been in this place?  There's something that comes into your realm that you want and enjoy and is for the overall good but, to get it entrenched into your being you have to THINK and yes... schedule it in... 

I'm looking forward to the time when this new part of my daily life is indeed part of my daily habit and routine...  

...a new facet of my own persona to embrace, embellish, and enjoy.  It gives renewed hope as I pursue lifelong goals and a passion to serve my friends right here in my community.  Making my world a better place and helping others succeed is a lighter fluid that I enjoy pouring in and through the charcoal of my existance, and the spark to light a new fire has landed and is now being fanned.

All that and taking care of a bunch of loose ends for my 85-year-old mother-in-law combined with an early vacation out of state created a flash of time normally enjoyed as a couple of weeks.  No problem - it brought summer a bit faster!

I'm back.  I'm landing on my feet!  With a fresh outlook that comes from launching and pursuing a new, enjoyable adventure.

Ever get to the place where you're stuck, and getting stucker?  I was, but I've found some freshness and joy in a new role with a profound friend and mentor.  Ever feel trapped, with no door of release?  My hand was given a knob, and I turned it.  The door of release is swinging open.

It's a good way to launch the summer.  Busy, and GOOD.  More challenge = more life in my life.

Sometimes life has a bit too much life going on but time has ways of working those kinks out, especially for those with hope who are willing to work hard to make their goals a reality. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow Moms, as we each think back over the years - how quickly they passed!!  Why is it that when we were expecting, the days dragged endlessly?  After our precious baby arrived, the nights AND days seemed endless at time - full of feedings and burpings and poopings and... "What do I do about...???" 

Why was it that the terrible two's and three's seemed to last at least two to three hundred years, as we endured all those moments of restraining ourselves from strangling the little package of rampant evil, also known as the "fruit of our womb"?  Then school came and stole our babies, replacing them with gum-chewing, eyeball-rolling teenagers who looked at us like we were aliens from another race of species and time.  What a treasure the teen years are, and what vivid memories they create...

My child is a married woman - now my counterpart in many ways.  I treasure the memories created through the years and laugh at many that we now share together as adults.

Happy Mother's Day to all - treasure the honor and blessings that motherhood brings. :)