United States Flag 🇺🇸

                     

       I opened up my Facebook page a few days ago to see that someone posted a video of the Grateful Dead singing the National Anthem. Being a music lover of many genres, I have always been fascinated with different renditions of the National Anthem being sung by various artists. I have never been a Grateful Dead fan. I guess that's because I didn't hear my older brother and sister playing their music. My two siblings are ten and fourteen years older than me. There was always music coming from their rooms and stacks of 45's on the carpet. My brother was a drummer in a band. He and his band mates would come over to practice. Long story short, there was always music in my home growing up. My parents loved playing albums on weekends too. My sister's favorite was the Beatles and my brother's favorite - Santana.

    Getting back to the topic at hand...I love the Grateful Dead's interpretation of the National Anthem. I like the simplicity and realness of it, which to me, makes it easier. for the meaning of the words to come through and take root. I was surprised how well they harmonize together. I guess it was a side to the Grateful Dead I knew nothing about.  

    I can't say I'm now a Grateful Dead fan (yet), but I'm now inspired to check out some of their older music. Hopefully, they've written a few ballads I might enjoy. 

    There really are no words to describe the weight the National Anthem carries; it can only be felt.

Easter

                                                                                                                                                            

 

      How different my Easter celebrations look today in contrast to twenty some years ago. My youngest child is nineteen years old.  The days are gone of me scrambling the week before Easter (sometimes a few days before) to put Easter baskets together for six young children. All baskets were designed especially for them. Easter cellophane green grass would be everywhere. Come Easter morning, I would be preparing a traditional Easter feast. My husband's dad, my mom, a few aunts, uncles and maybe a nephew or niece. Today, some loved ones have passed and there are no more little ones for the Easter egg hunt. That was one of my favorite parts of Easter, watching my kids hunt for Easter eggs. Let's not forget we would color and decorate eggs together, the day before!

What fun that was...today my oldest son lives in Austin, next son is spending the weekend in Reno with his friend and playing in a poker tournament, next son lives in a neighboring city and will be here or our simple Easter Sunday barbecue. My daughter who is  twenty-four moved back home (some might be familiar with this story) and last two sons still live with us too. 

This season of Lent, leading up to Easter has also been different. I decided to attend mass every Sunday throughout Lent. It has been wonderful! I no longer have to dress the tribe  for mass or argue with which older kid doesn't want to go - I can just go for myself. 

     When I think of Easter, I think of Spring time and new growth. It's a great time to rediscover who I am, set new goals and practice gratitude. I think as long as we're practicing gratitude, we can feel blessed every day of the year. It doesn't mean everyday is going to be unicorns and cotton candy, but there is always, always something to be grateful for and that's where I find my blessings. 

    Happy Springtime! 

Dandelions

 

       When I think of dandelions, my mind takes me to my childhood. I spent a lot of time outdoors as a kid and I remember seeing lots of dandelions.  To me, they were a beautiful little yellow flower. I would often pick two or three and put them in a small glass of water, for display on our kitchen table. Ah...the simple life and little things that used to make a child happy.  

    I took this picture last Spring, while taking my dog for a walk. Where I live, there is a forest more or less in my back. yard. It is the forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos. There are several entrances into this forest, one of them being around the corner from me. The main entrance is several miles down the road. Nisene has some amazing trails for hiking and biking.

     I couldn't help but take a picture of these three dandelions joined together, apart from any. other dandelions in sight. Naturally, fond memories of playing outdoors as a child drew me to these three lovelies. Just by looking at them, I am overcome with a feeling of light heartedness. 

    I discovered something interesting about the dandelion. Well, we all know it is wild and easily grows just about anywhere...even through a crack in the cement! It is considered the most persistent  flower that never gives up. What. I discovered, was that a bouquet of dandelions can be a symbol of hope and never giving up. Love this!

There can be such great meaning behind the simplest of things 🌻

Dusk

 

                                                                                    

                                                                           Dusk                                                                                  

                                                               The light show is here

                               Hues of pink, purple and blue

                                  One more. masterpiece 

                      (I took this photo from my backyard deck, February 2023)

                                   

Collection

                                                                                

                                                       my current sea glass collection

        Living on the coast here in California, I have the pleasure of hanging out at the beach whenever I want. With all the storms we have had the past few months, it has made good pickings for sea glass finders. Low tide has brought piles and piles of small rocks, shells and treasures to shore. My favorite beach for hunting is Rio Del Mar State beach; a five minute drive from my home. It's a sweet little beach.  

                                                                                

    This last time I collected sea glass, I was having a very stressful morning. It was one of those days where there was no immediate solution to a problem. I was restless sitting with it and the thought came to me that this is the perfect time to run to the beach for an hour or two and hunt for sea glass. I find it to be a cathartic and meditative activity. In other words, it's a great way to relieve stress. Let's review why that is so...the view of the vast sea, the powerful and yet soothing sounds of the waves crashing, a light cool breeze on my cheeks, while I sit in the sand digging like a child. I use a piece of driftwood I found as my tool. This activity requires patience. The sea glass doesn't just jump into the palm of your hand. You have to sift through sand, small rocks, pebbles and shells. It's a great pass time and whatever problem was bothering me, doesn't cross my mind. It's all about finding the weathered glass. 

                                                                                       

    The above three photos are of the last time I was at the beach, and my findings. As you can see, I wasn't the only one looking for colorful smooth pieces of glass. 

    I came home feeling so much better. They say a problem shared is a problem halved. It was as though I shared that problem with the ocean. It's one of my favorite places to be! 

Bunionectomy

    Sure, I'll share my bunionectomy experience. For those that aren't familiar with this term, it is a surgical procedure that moves your toes back into the correct position. I also had an osteotomy, which simply means "cutting off the bone."                                                                                     

                                        (before and after x-rays of left and right foot)

    I had this procedure done to both my feet (at the same time) in November 2021. I had wanted to have it done for the longest time, but never took action to make it happen. I noticed the physical appearance of my toes were getting more noticeable and now I had pain to go along with it. Goodbye heels and hello Skechers. I finally made that call to the orthopedic surgeon and we talked. When I read her notes about the upcoming surgical procedure, she noted my condition as a "deformity of the feet." To me, it read "ugly feet." I was counting the days to have this procedure done. I conceded that yes, my feet looked ugly. I had been self conscious of them for quite a while. She asked me if I wanted to have one foot done at a time and I told her, "Let's get this done in one shot." 

    Checking into the hospital that morning was uneventful, then got a little squirrelly. For some reason, there were three nurses prepping me for surgery and none could find a good vein. The anesthesiologist then comes in and is irritated that it is taking three nurses to get me ready. He kind of chewed them out. Needless to say, this was no help to my anxiety about being ready to get my feet operated on. And I always get nervous about going under anesthesia. Who doesn't? 

    Well, the team finally got organized and off I wheeled into the operating room. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in recovery.My nurse asked me if I wanted anything to drink. I was parched. She offered me  cranberry juice, which I gladly accepted. I downed that juice and the next thing I knew, I was horribly nauseous. Never again. Next time, maybe some ice chips or teeny sips of water. 

It was a long recovery off of my feet. I had a lot of support at home and very thankful for that. What does one do while lying on the bed for weeks? One paints rocks and that's what I did. The holidays were upon us, so I thought..."I'm going to paint some Christmas rocks." I ordered  Acrylic paint markers from Amazon and got busy. I have some experience in lettering and calligraphy, so this was a fun project. 

                                                                                                                            

I am ticked pink with the results of my surgery. "Goodbye Skechers and hello again Heels!"

                                                                         

                                                

Allison

                         

                                                                                    

    ...And who is this lovely young woman? This sweet girl is Allison, my son's girlfriend.  This picture pretty much says it all, if you look hard enough. I snagged this picture from her social media page. It looks like she is at a petting zoo of some sort. She is an animal lover and advocates for them. She works for a veterinarian on the Monterey Peninsula. I think her genuineness comes through this photo in her smile.

    As a mother to five sons,  I'm sure other moms (and dads) out there will agree with me, that what we want most for our sons is to find a forever partner that is kind and truly cares for our sons. She and Joey have been together for three years; and presently live together.  When they're here in our home  - it warms my heart to see the way they treat each other with love and respect. They are two peas in a pod; both hard working and humble. It's refreshing to see young people now a days that aren't taken in by the material world and clothing labels. It's not that they don't have a lot. Joey bought his first home last year and is building an ADU on the back of his property. It's a small older home that needed some TLC. They live five minutes from the beach. On Sundays, he and Allison ride their bikes along the coastal bike trail. Sunday is the only day off they have together with their work schedule. Weekdays, they try and catch the sunset with their dogs on leash. The outdoors is their favorite place to be. They enjoy packing up their truck that has a camper on the back, their two dogs and head North for an adventure. Bottom line, they have much in common and share the same values. I see two people who are comfortable in their own skin and with each other. 

When Allison gives me a hug, I feel it. She's a natural beauty and doesn't mind getting her fingernails dirty in the garden. Now and then, she'll pop a thoughtful card in the mail to me. I'm glancing at the beautiful Easter card she sent me as I write. 

I'm grateful that I can rest assure that after a long day of work and commute, that my son is coming home to somebody who loves and appreciates him. I've come to care for Allison too.  I'm glad that she is loved and appreciated as well by an amazing young man.  

I'm happy that Allison has become a part of our family. 🌸