a sad day

I have been working with older adults for 20 years.Over the years, I have met some really wonderful people and occasionally, I make a good friend.

Don and I became friends about 3 years ago. Despite some physical disabilities and problems that came along with age, Don had a great sense of humor and a positive outlook on life. He allowed me to to interview him for a paper I wrote for my Psychology of Aging class and was incredibly open and accommodating. Don always had a joke to tell. We often kept in touch by reading and commenting on each other's blogs. No matter what I wrote, he always had a positive comment for me. He almost always included a joke at the end of each blog post.

When I became ill in May 2012, Don sent me his support by emailing me jokes and funny stories 2 or 3 times a week. He was a firm believer that "laughter is the best medicine." He continued to do this throughout my illness and recovery. When I was well enough and able to drive again, I went to visit him. I finally got to meet his feathered kids, Chipper and Pepper. Here he is with Chipper...

A couple months ago, I noticed that he wasn't writing on a regular basis. One day he wrote, "Not feeling well. Try again later." Worried, I called him and he said that he was having a battery of tests run. He was gratified that his doctor was putting him at the head of the line to have the diagnostic tests done. This doctor even went to his home to talk to him and check on him. While I was in Georgia in November, a mutual friend of ours called to tell me that Don was in the hospital - he was receiving treatment and his body wasn't tolerating the treatment very well. His condition was very serious...

When I got back to California, I went to visit him. He had lost a considerable amount of weight, was weak, but still had a positive outlook. We visited for about an hour and a half, but I left when I got the feeling that he was getting worn out. Before I left, he said that he wanted to take me and Ron out to dinner to his favorite Chinese food restaurant when he was feeling better. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant. I told him, "It's a date!" gave him a hug, kissed him on the cheek and waved good-bye.

Last week I got a letter from his son saying that Don was coming home from the hospital. I called him on the way home from work today only to find out that he had gone home on the 13th and passed away on the 15th. I can't tell you how sad I am that I didn't get to see him one more time and say good-bye. I am sad knowing he won't read this and that there won't be a comment from him at the end of this entry.

Today I am grateful to have had a friend named Don.

connected

I had every intention of writing on my days off, but I was busy with one thing and another and now it's time to go back to work tomorrow. As it turns out, I will be working 4 days and off 3 for the foreseeable future. That's ok with me.

The story I wanted to tell is that last Friday I accidentally left my phone at home when Ron and I went to work. I was out of sorts all day - I felt undressed without my phone - disconnected from everyone. What on Earth did we do before the days of the internet and smart phones?

I hate how dependent I have become on technology. It's upsetting to be in a restaurant and looking around at the other patrons to see them all glued to their phones instead of talking to their dinner companions. On the other hand, I am incredibly grateful to be able to stay connected to family and friends with news and photos.

Today I am grateful for ...
1. New pictures and videos of Wyatt (via facebook and phone!).
2. Homemade minestrone soup!

and that's enough!

working girl

The beauty of having a part-time job is that I work 3 days and am off 4 days each week. During the holidays, I worked a little extra to make up for the time I spent in Georgia (with the most beautiful little boy in the world). Now I'm back to my regular schedule - 3 days on - 4 days off. Besides the fact that I LOVE my job, this schedule works out perfectly for me.

Today was a chore day - laundry, post office, Target, grocery store...I also finished putting the last of the Christmas decorations away. As I get ready for bed, I'm very satisfied with what I accomplished today. Tomorrow through Thursday I will be at work and I will be happy to be there. Working with the sisters at Oakwood is more rewarding than I could have imagined. What a lucky gal I am to have the best of both worlds.

Today I am grateful...
...that Mandi still needs her mama when she isn't feeling well,
...that I got all my chores finished,
...and that I have a great job to go to tomorrow.

a little under the weather

I have been holding off a cold for about two weeks now. It was the holidays, Jenn was here and I had a job to do. I didn't have time to be sick. The cold finally got the upper hand yesterday. Luckily,  I have had the weekend to deal with it.

I've been watching a lot of TV  - spending a lot of time in bed - and sleeping a lot. I did manage to make a big pot of soup, to take all the Christmas decorations down, get them packed up and put away. Little accomplishments that made me feel not quite so useless.

Today I am grateful -
....for lazy Sundays and a very comfy bed,
....for Netflix,
....and for mango passion fruit tea.

almost broadway

Last night Ron and I went to see "Book of Mormon." We have wanted to see it for a long time. Having heard so much about it for so long...that it had won several Tony awards...that it was so funny and irreverent...sounded like our kind of show.

We liked it fine. It was funny and irreverent, The music was pretty good. The cast (for the most part) was excellent and really committed to their roles. Maybe we would have liked it better if we had seen it in New York - there's just something about seeing a show on Broadway. At the end of the day, it won't go down as one of our favorites. It was a nice evening out, though!

Today I am grateful...

... that Jenn made it home safely last night...

...that's it's not as cold in New York today...

...and that I live in such a beautiful state with lovely, temperate weather.

back to normal

The holidays are over.

The clearest indication of the end of the holidays for me was that today Beckie was at work, Mandi went to class and Jenn flew back to NYC to her real life. What a true delight it has been to spend time with the girlies during the holidays. It has been more than lovely having Jenn here for the last 16 days. We talked and laughed and cried and hugged and cooked and ate and went to movies and discussed and went to musical performances and watched TV and sat and were still. It was wonderful watching my 3 grown daughters interact with each other  - it's so much fun to have them all together.

The house is quiet now. The girls are all back in their own spaces. It's ok, though. Ron and I have the house back to ourselves. I have learned that quiet can be good, too.

Today I am grateful for Jennie, Mandi and Beckie.

Happy New Year!

I've decided not to make any New Year's resolutions this year. After reviewing my track record for the last few years, there doesn't seem to be a point in making any big pronouncements here. What I hope to do this year is focus on the things for which I am grateful. I may not have the chance to write them down here every day, but when I can, I will.

Today I will tell you that I am grateful for the unconditional love of my wonderful husband, for good health and for forgiveness. It's gonna be a good year!