A Very Different Kind of Life

[Lily&Me]

Thanks for sharing him. People have to really work at offending me, but it can be done.

It is a fascinating, fascinating culture, and what they were able to build and construct so long ago absolutely boggles the mind.

You feel such a powerfully spiritual connection to that area, Vincent......you may have been an ancient in a past life.

I have been to a few places in my life that felt uncannily familiar, where I felt like I had come home.....but I was not at my home nor anyplace known in this life. Still, the connection was unmistakeable, undeniable and otherwise inexplicable. Those visceral responses come from somewhere. I rather like the idea that we find in this life remnants of others.

The Interstate is cleaned, winterized and safely to bed in storage for the next couple of months. Night-night.

Dinner with the son/his, at their house this Sunday evening. I am thoroughly enjoying not prepping and cooking for 6 every Sunday.....once a month is perfect at this point in my life. The grands tried to outdo each other, showing off for Grandma and bringing me their current, most favorite things. Sweet babies.

I bought a pumpkin with my newspapers today, which I will clean and carve on Halloween, putting a candle in it on the front porch.....like we do every year.

Going to clean ceiling fans tomorrow and perhaps start on the yard work.

Note to self.....dead squirrels in the garbage get very ripe after a few days, even inside a plastic bag.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Emma Grace (currently missing 4 teeth) in her Elsa costume

[cwf]

Beautiful! I am so humbled that we touch the eternal in our kids. Wow.

[Lily&Me]

Had an email from Doug's sister last evening, and she has gotten their mom moved into a care facility in Wellman over the weekend. Thank goodness!

She apparently went willingly, is settling in and cooperative with her care providers. Such relief. Regular meals, adequate fluids, conversation, physical and mental stimulation, etc., should do wonders for her.

Going to be near 80 degrees today, then rapidly return to fall weather.

Likely the last hurrah before cold weather settles in for the duration.


Maggie


Evenings on the IPad:

We aren't prepared for the reality of trauma, pain and grief. It's an injustice to those we care about, maybe some day ourselves, to assume that resilience must mean you've "moved on", or gotten over stuff. More than likely, the stuff we go through becomes a part of us.

Resilience can't be measured by how happy you are. It's not required you have "closure".

Sometimes resilience just means you've endured and survived.

Sometimes resilience means you stop hiding your pain.

Sometimes resilience just means you share your story so there's less secrecy around all our suffering.

~Sameet Kumar

[Lily&Me]

Evenings on the IPad:

There is nothing wrong with you for grieving. Although "getting over it" might be a well-meaning thought, a much more realistic goal for your grief is resilience. This doesn't mean getting back to who you used to be, but learning and growing from your experiences. Grief doesn't need to be sought--it finds you--but the process of resilience takes effort. ~Sameet Kumar


A quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business. ~ A.A. Milne

[Lily&Me]

Michael's has very good quality, photo Christmas ornaments on sale this week, and I have quite a few left of the thank-you notes with photo that I ordered when Doug died, so I picked up a small pile of these to put together for all of the relevant parties. They look quite nice, I think. Such a good picture of him, in his tuxedo at Sara's wedding last year.

My to-do list is shrinking. The carpet steamer guy is coming today, for the annual, professional, once-over of the little house. About 1/3 is in ceramic tile, so a reasonable and justifiable expense for the good Berber we put down some years ago, planning and prepping for a reduced income in retirement, and don't plan to ever replace. We figured that, by the time it looked like it needed replacing, we would be too old to care.

Going to need help from very tall son to clean the light fixture in the dining area, tho....me, on a stool, with nothing to hold on to, reaching high and unsteadily to unscrew, remove, clean and replace that fixture is just asking for trouble. He is always willing to run over to help his mama....such a good boy.

Leaves on the trees are turning fully and falling, almost simultaneously. We have had a beautiful, beautiful fall, now the pressure is on to rake, trim and tidy up the yard before we get rain or other inclement weaher. Many fewer leaves in the front yard this year, now that the two ash trees have been turned into firewood.

Going to get the electric trimmer out and take on another Doug-task....it has an automatic cut-off if you take your finger off the switch, so even I should be safe to use it. I have a sturdy ladder, too. I can do this.

My Verizon mi-fi has been a little fritzy for months, very overdue for an upgrade, so finally got that taken care of over the weekend and the newly-refurbished, but-fully-warrantied one ($.99 onllne) arrived yesterday.

A moment of panic that I had to insert the SIM card and put it together myself.....then I took a deep breath, carefully read and followed the instructions, and....voila!....it worked. Connecting much better and faster, no more frequently appearing "stuck" in "dormant".

Indulged in a package of beautiful looking, pork loin spare ribs yesterday, and am going to brown them up to put in the crock pot today. One of Doug's favorite foods, and something I haven't cooked since he has been gone. I'm kind of hungry for meat. He may be hovering in the kitchen later, sniffing the air and wishing he could have a bite.

Lily is crashed, exhausted, on the couch, after her Tuesday romp at doggie day care yesterday. What an asset that place is for this community!, and they are expanding to a new facility early next year. Professional, well-trained and caring staff. Some of the best $ I spend each week when we are home.

My body seems to anticipate the time change, my sleep schedule getting out of whack a couple of weeks before daylight savings time. I have been up and wide awake before 5am too many days recently....I'm ready.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Had an email from my friend Val in northern MN, and she had found this delicious wine on Amazon.....so, I have ordered some.

I had come across this in a beautiful market in MN, on my way to their house in July......my first real trip by myself in the Interstate. Spent a week in their beautiful yard with these longtime friends, it was very, very, good, and we drank some of this every night.

A very light, extraordinarily good, riesling, IMO. At a good price.

I'm so excited, as I have been unable to find this in Illinois! It had not occurred to me to look on Amazon, and they were going to bring me some when we get together in the spring.

I read on some blog about conserving space on a boat, that box wines should be removed from their boxes for storage or for the tiny frig.

There are also, apparently, unusually bad insect problems on boats, leading one to eliminate cardboard whenever possible.

An excellent idea, leavng one with a shape-conforming-to-content/volume, sturdy, airtight bag of wine. Requires a bit more maneuvering to pour some, but I have already tried this and it does work.

Visiting my long-time hair stylist for a good trim of my mostly-grey locks today. I am so appreciative of relationships such as this one......the fabric of our lives.


Maggie

[Pagey]

Bag o' Wine...sounds like a party to me.

Fall is happening here in the SC lowcountry, also. Virginia Creeper is turning red, but no rain this month means most of the leaves are turning brown and dropping.

Hope Dan is making progress on your hitch cover. We have heard nothing from him on our end.

[Lily&Me]

Dan and I had a phone conversation a couple of weeks ago, Page, and he was in the throes of moving to a house with a shop attached. Nice to hear he has enough business he has quit his day job.

As the Interstate is in storage for a few months, I told him not to hurry, that by the end of December is fine.

Looking for his website to paste here, I saw that he was nominated for an award last year. For those who don't know, Dan Miner makes beautiful things out of recycled metals.....old oxygen tanks being at least one of those.....and made a red rose hitch cover for us a couple of years back. From an old oxygen tank.

He is currently repairing it a bit, after I bonked it in TN someplace, I think. If I can find a photo, I'll post it. He does beautiful work.

Miner Metal | 2013 Martha Stewart American Made Awards Nominee | Martha Stewart


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Evenings on the IPad:

Loss makes artists of us all as we weave new patterns in the fabric of our lives.
~Greta W. Crosby

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. ~Gilda Radner


It feels like the right time to close this thread. I have my moments and days, and will continue to do so, I am sure, but am through the worst of it. It's just time.

It would have been a much different, much, much more difficult, experience without the love, compassion and support that I received from my AirForums friends.


I've heard it said,
That people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn.
And we are lead to those who help us most to grow if we let them.
And we help them in return.
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you.

~Sam Tsui & Nick Pitea


A better community of people could not be found anywhere. I thank you and am deeply grateful. If I can be of support or assistance to any of you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Will look for you at rallies and on the road.


XO Maggie