Last Day….

It’s the last day and what have I learned?  I thought it was the same song, same verse, stuck in neutral with plans to move forward, exactly how I felt last year on this day.  But…I changed my mind.  Everywhere there is the year in review playing the good and the bad.  I’ve decided not to review the bad, only the good.  The good to surpass everything: a new dog, Marlowe, who lives with #1 Son & DIL   and the birth of a darling baby girl for parents #2 Son and DIL.  Our sweet grand-daughter, Gray is a beauty with a full head of hair, a serious countenance and smile to melt the coldest of hearts.

Mom had several downward spirals.  My family, as always, the best.  Old friends, new friends;  loved and  appreciated.  Trips to Tahiti, Portland and New York City.  Three writing conferences.   My friend, Pam and I roomed together in NYC.    Met favourite authors: Robyn Carr and Jenny Crusie.  Loved Jennifer’s collage workshop and Michael Hauge is always excellent.  Three UBC creative writing classes.   Ten pounds up and ten pounds down.  A 40th high school reunion which turned out to be great fun and the only reunion I’ve ever attended.   An in-law health crisis.  Traveled by train to Portland, Eugene and San Francisco.  Met Julie.  Rode the Golden Gate Bridge on my best birthday ever according to the Big Guy.   AND… one  beautiful baby granddaughter.   A very good year.

My year in review.

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Hoping this coming year brings many blessings and much love to your life.

Stay safe.  Stay well.  Stay warm.

It’s quick…

So was it food poisoning or the dreaded Norwalk?  Same symptoms according to the Nurse Hotline. I am assuming the very rapid walk through the halls to visit Mama on Friday afternoon was all it took.  Mama is fine.  No symptoms.  I promised I would visit her in two days.  Sadly I have disappointed her and cannot visit until New Years Day.   Feeling like I have abandoned her on Christmas, much like the rest of her children who do not visit.  Life does suck at times.

On the other hand, half the family spend the day together, the other half worried about their little one and did not come. Norwalk is very contagious up to seventy-two hours.  We will have two Christmas celebrations. So…it was a very quiet, full of laughter celebration with eldest son, wife and Marlowe, the wonder dog.  He loves visiting our house, bounds out of the car and waits for the door to open.  He knows he gets treats and kisses.  I think we should have a dog again.  Perhaps this coming year.  Hope your Christmas day was full of family cheer and love.  Looking forward to a wonderful 2012.  Stay warm, safe and very much-loved.

96 and counting…

Who would have thought it? I’m sure Mom never thought she would live to be 96.   When she was 90, she said she was going to die at 95 or after S & A have a baby.  Well, the year has come and gone and what a year it was.  A very big downward spiral physically, mentally and emotionally.  It really has been a roller coaster ride.  Many times I thought this would be the year but she has a strong heart. She is here for the very long haul.  I’m going to need a lot of money if I have inherited the “strong heart gene.”  If one has good health and mobility and a sharp mind, it wouldn’t be so bad to live well into one’s 90′s.  The key word is “if.”

I bought a beautiful bouquet, very festive colours to celebrate her birthday and Christmas.  I forgot the Purdy’s Turkish Delight.  Santa will have to put it in her stocking.   Mom did acknowledge it was her birthday and marveled at the number.  I couldn’t stay long, I have a cold.  They don’t like anyone visiting with a cold, fever, etc.  The staff were advised it is Mom’s birthday.  Many wished her a happy birthday.  She was very gracious and thanked everyone.  We had a little hug and a “love you” before I left.  As I was leaving the building I noticed the “STOP, No Visitors” sign and “Do not Cross” ribbons which were not there when I arrived.  The first floor has an outbreak of Norwalk, also known as the “winter vomiting flu.”   Life just keeps on throwing stones on my path.  Hoping Mom’s immune system will fight it off when the germs ride the elevator upstairs.  You just know they will.

A very happy birthday to my dear Mama.  Happy 96th!  Here we are at the last Christmas  party.

In the writing sandbox, a postcard story…

My blog has been sorely neglected of late.  As promised here is my postcard story, but first….  A classroom exercise morphed into the back story for a small mid-western town full of characters on the cusp of decline or a push towards prosperity.  Of course, the townspeople are in conflict and a body is found, stopping the new highway construction.  Our little writing group  each submitted a postcard story.  This is mine…

Very tardy, but I’m writing…

Where have I been for over a month? Right here.  Busy with life.  Last week I finished another eight weeks of Creative Writing at UBC.  Again, with my favourite instructor Stephanie and a group of wonderful women writers.  Alas, no men writers joined us.  We missed them.  They add to our little group as well as entertain us.  Two new writers added to the group of seven.  We had fun writing, reading each others’ submissions, critiquing, brain storming and, of course, eating tasty treats at coffee break.  I will post my postcard story in a few days.  As Stephanie said, “this is chapter one of a novel.”  Hmm….that will be the start of  third novel.  Unfortunately novel #1 and novel #2 are not finished.  I did submit the first chapter of novel #2, a re-write of the first chapter and an opening scene for chapter two.  Very well received and excellent comments.

If only I were independently wealthy, I could write all day and hire someone else to do my job.  Ah, dream on dreamer.  Stay safe and warm.

And back to the rollercoaster….

An update on Mother ~

Up: she knows me  and we have had some lovely conversations.

Down: not drinking or eating and I’m not her daughter, again.

I really think she is just being obstinate as only she can be.  Tonight, she gave me the ‘once over’ look, well…the once over the face ‘look’ with the “I’m not going to cooperate” expression and then she said it; “You are not my daughter!”  Right.  There was a little lift of the lips.  Ha, not fooling me, Mom.  I had to laugh which shocked the care aid.  What?  I’m not suppose to recognize when my mother is being obtuse.  Mama understood she is about to become a great-grandmother very soon.  The mind was all there.  So it was good, even if I wasn’t her daughter and I kissed her hand three times which brought a smile to eyes and lips.  Tonight was the ‘good’ in the long-term care saga.

Hope your weekend was wonderful.  Mine was grand.  More about my four days at the SiWC later.  Also known as the Surrey international Writers Conference.  Also a roller coaster ride of confidence in my writing.  Yes, Lani, I am a great writer.    There.  Stay safe.

A sort-of bucket list…

Apparently I have one, a bucket list.  There are things I should do before I die according to the Big Guy.    I have more  “I should do that” or “That would be fun, let’s do that one day” thoughts which are not on paper and may or may not happen.   So…nope, no sheet of paper with the title “Things I really want to do” with a sub-title  of  “Must do or I will die unhappy” list taped to the fridge.  No, I have just two little dreams: 1 – is to write and 2 – is to play the piano again.  Both by the way, I am doing, well, the writing I am doing, s-l-o-w-l-y and the tinkling of the ivories, not at all.

It feels like cheating….

I confess, I broke down and bought an e-reader.  I’m running out of space.  The shelves are packed.  Full.  The storage boxes jammed.  And still I buy more.  Now I’m cheating on my books.  The poor things are languishing  while I gleefully read from my electronic library of books. 

I met a Betty…

Last week was a joyful week.  Not only did the Big Guy and I spend a week celebrating my birthday by riding bicycles over the Golden Gate bridge, eating great food and sipping excellent coffee, I met a Betty.  Not just any Betty…but the fabulous Julie, also known as Lunar Betty.  We are known as the Tall Canadians because we are just a bit taller than Julie.    Thinking about it now, we should have taken a photo of the four of us, Julie, Me, Dan and the Big Guy, totem pole style.  I wore platform sandals just to add a bit more height.  I want to be taller so I cheat sometimes.  Julie called me on it.

Pardon me?

My mother never swore or very rarely used swear words when I was a child.  Once in a while she would swear.  This was always a surprise to me.  My mother knew swear words and even more astounding, she said them.   Mother is very proper.   She always used big words ,  words to get her meaning across to me.  Mom also corrected my pronunciation and told me what the word meant and how to use it.  Swearing was not part of our speech.  Today was a different story.