#sol24 A Double Rainbow

Last week started with

Storms, water in the basement,

Mopping,

Last week continued with

Serious illness impacting

Those I love,

Prayers.

Last week ended with

A double rainbow.

It might have been

 Light reflected twice,

It was a sign

If you look closely

There is hope.

 

#sol24 April 9 Better Than the Eclipse

 

It seems as if THE eclipse

Was the highlight of the day, 

Perhaps the week.

It really was memorable,

A testament to the power of nature

To create beauty.

Yet,

A phone call made my day, week, perhaps my year,  

We talked and we listened

About people and happenings in our lives.

About wonderful and devastating things,

About possibilities and accepting 

What we cannot change.

We have talked rarely in the last decade,

We've had harsh words, unkind thoughts,

Yet, "old" friends somehow 

Pick up where they left off,

In spite of time, changes, emotions,

Leaving barriers in the dust.

#sol24 April 2 Handicapped Parking

 

"I hate it when people park in those handicapped spots and don't need them," I thought as a tiny sports car  pulled into one of the last remaining spots clearly marked handicapped.  I had already driven around the crowded lot on a gray, rainy morning and class was about to start. I ended up in the outer lot and was a drippy mess when I finally got into class.

The lady who had nabbed that up close spot was already in my gym room, although she was not as far in the preparing for class process as she should have been!  She was slowly taking off her coat and there was a crowd gathering around her offering greetings and clear messages of "I have missed you."

 "I'm doing better, she assured her friends, and I am going to try to do at least part of this class." she smiled. As I glanced over, I noticed her thin shirt hung on her bony shoulders. Then, I saw her slowly raising her arms and adjusting her hair and I just knew she really needed that spot. My guilt level went through the roof.

Clearly, she had already faced a powerful enemy.  

Clearly, she needed and deserved that spot.
Clearly, not all disabilities are visible. 

#sol 24 March 31 SOL2024

Somehow, I wrote everyday,

Encouraged by my best reader, my cousin Kurt,

Connecting with old & new friends.

Somehow, I found things to write about

Within the circle of my life,

Every single day!

Somehow, I had two surgeries,

Resulting in remarkably improved vision,

Empowering me to drive confidently.

Somehow, thanks to vision enhancing technology,

I commented every single day

Reflecting, learning, and growing.

Somehow, those I love and those I care about,

Are coping with challenges and trials,

One day at a time.

Somehow, the cold, dark, rain days

The lone dreary spell is passing,

Winter has given way to spring.

Somehow, the cloud of isolation,

Appears to be lifting,

Proving, again,

Writing every day is powerful!

Thank you to all who stopped by,

sharing comments and friendship.

Thank you to all at Two Writing Teachers 

for this powerful way to support wanna-be

writers like me.

 

#sol24 March 30 Prepare For It

I stopped by, early,

To drop off overdue books,

To pick up a request.

It was windy and cold,

In spite of the late March sun.

There was a line!

I expected one at the bakery,

Not one at the library!

It took a few seconds,

Then,

I remembered the give-away,

"Prepare for it," they say.

"It's coming!"

April 8, 2024

A solar eclipse!

#sol24 March 29 Good Friday's Memories

Good Friday has almost always been a day "off" from school and for me, it spurs many, diverse memories.

Last year, I was happily cleaning and cooking for an extended family gathering at my house. All of my grandchildren were to be gathered under my roof and I was as excited as a Meme could be. I made Easter pails for all of the children and listened to Bruce Springsteen as I prepped our desserts. I had so much to celebrate.

Two years ago, I was boarding a plane for a long awaited trip to Italy to eat, drink and celebrate that tiny part of my heritage, wearing a mask, and worried sick about each and every Covid test we took. There were many! Yet, we left JFK filled with excitement, sitting in Business!

 

Four years ago, I was beyond sad, confused and depressed. There really wasn't anything to celebrate. I went to my son's house and walked around outside without hugging or being close to anyone.  It was so weird. Schools and churches were all closed.  I watched Shark Tank all day long.  I am not sure, but I  think I cried more that once.

Nine yeas ago, I was  doing crafts and making decorations for the holiday ahead of us with my nieces who came for a "play date" while their parents worked.  Soon, most of my immediate family would be gathered in my dining room for what would be the last time at that table, in that house, or as that family. It was a good thing we did not know what was ahead as I remember a wonderful, joy filled day with a table filled with flowers made by my nieces. 

Twelve years ago, we went to Little Italy to buy fresh pasta, delicious pastries and the rest of the supplies for Easter dinner.  We put everything in a cooler and then we walked the High Line, all of it.  We went to St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC for mass that was long and afforded lots of time to think, reflect, pray, and hope.  It was late and we were starving when we finally got home, but we were energized and hopeful.

 

Twenty years ago, I spent the day cleaning as my house was out of control dirty.  I was back in grad school and my my kitchen was filled with the paper evidence of my research and dissertation.  I spent the day sorting data into the drawers of an old dresser I took from one of my children's rooms. I was thinking of Easter dinner and headed at some point to the store but I was also planning for a soon to be college graduation. We had no idea that life would soon change and colon cancer would emerge, again, and change our family.

Many, years ago, I was sewing an Easter dress for my toddler while my husband and that toddler made an Easter Rabbit out of snow that covered our yard,  I was clearly expecting a second child and  we were going to be hosting my family in two days. The house needed to be cleaned. There were dust bunnies everywhere.  I think I was as happy as a human can be!

Many, many years ago, one of my siblings found my mother's secret stash of Easter candy in her closet. Candy was not usually part of our world and so it was a chance to eat our way into a candy coma. We ate our weight in candy that night. That was the end of the Easter Bunny for us!

#sol24 March 28 I Took a Deep Breath

I took a deep breath as I answered the phone, not sure of the reason for the call, but pretty sure that any call from a doctor on a Sunday afternoon was not good news,  I am not quite sure I ever had a call from a doctor on a Sunday afternoon, so to be honest, I have no idea why I have such a thought about such a phone call.  I was pretty sure he was going to cancel my surgery or tell me some horrible news about my recent scans.  The best case scenario, in moments of my mind flying out of control with anticipation before answering the phone call was that my surgeon was going to cancel tomorrow's procedure. 

"Hello?" I asked slowly, because I really had no reason not to answer.  

"Hi," he answered quickly as if he was expecting me to be awaiting his call. "I hope you are having a good weekend.  I just wanted to check on how you were doing and how you are seeing before tomorrow's appointment." 

I took a deep breath as I tried to construct a verbal response while wondering  why an esteemed eye surgeon was even thinking about my eye surgery the next day?   But, somehow I managed a response and engaged in a sincere discussion about what I was able to see and what difficulties I still had. After a few minutes, he thanked me for my time and I thanked him for his time.  "I just want to make sure of  the best outcomes," he responded. " See you in the morning!"

I thought about the conversation with the doctor who just wanted to make sure we were on the same page as I got ready for bed and several times in the days ahead.  It's crazy that any call from a doctor we expect to be bad news!  It's also crazy that any call parents get from teachers is usually bad news. We really should be working together to do the best we can to make sure of the best outcomes!

#sol24 March 27 Seniors Just Wanna Have Fun

 

Today's post was spurred by

Kim who wrote about that Ahh feeling

Over at Two Writing Teachers SOL

I have observed that Ahh feeling of clear happiness and total enjoyment of the moment many times in my life.  There are the images of my newborn grandchildren and of my children holding on to those special babies. There are images of celebrations and birthdays and graduations, too. 

Yet, sometimes random images from life can give me that Ahh feeling, like the gray-haired couple who pulled up beside my aging gray sedan at a stop light on the first sort-of-spring-weather day.  Honestly, it was still much too cold for a top-down-car day and I suspect they both were wearing long underwear and gloves in order to survive the experience.  Yet, their bright-blue-brand-new-appearing Beemer seemed like it was itching to be out on the road, still covered in winter's gray residue. 

She had a bright yellow headscarf with a tail flapping in the breeze as well as smile as wide as the Mississippi. I could not possibly hear what she was saying to her red-baseball-hat-clad partner as the music was blaring, Brown-Eyed Girl and the engine was roaring to go as soon as the light changed.

They were a colorful sight that not only caught my eye, but also brought me indirect happiness. 

I've thought of them in the days since, a reminder that gray-haired seniors just wanna have fun!

Stock photo, not a real image of that moment.

#sol24 March 26 To Be A Dog Walker

"It was Career Day," he said excitedly, "and I was a Rock Star!  J was an astronaut, B was a baseball player. V was an author. L was a doctor and K was the night guard at the library."

"Sounds like a great day," I smiled thinking there clearly was some creative thinking happening in nearby homes.  

"My teacher brought her stuffed dog to school and let us pet her," he continued. "She is going to be a dog walker."

"Sounds like an exhausted and creative teacher," I thought thinking about the endless demands on teachers as well as the endless stream of dog walkers I see traipsing through nearby neighborhoods each day. The dog walker who walks several dogs near me drives a brand new BMW SUV.  

I'm guessing it's a lower stress job with good (better?) financial rewards than to be a teacher?

I'm hoping someone wanted to be a teacher? 

#sol24 March 25 Here We Go Again

 

I had surgery at the beginning of SOL,
I'm headed back, today.

Two eyes + two cataracts = two surgeries.

This time, 

I know about all the things,

I know about all the drops,

I know to bring a blank check,

I know to bring the sun glasses.

This is a quickie.

I'll likely be home before lunch.

I'll likely have lots of time to read and comment.

I'll likely see your words better,

I'll certainly see the smudges on the walls,

I'll definitely be annoyed by the cobwebs, 

I'll be able to watch the dust bunnies multiply!