Random Acts of "Kindness"

Archive for December, 2014

INVITED

Thanksgiving at our house usually brings our youngest daughter and her family, and our oldest daughter and her husband into the city to join us. Sadly her husband had a fever and stayed home. The food was delicious (if I do say so myself) and the company was delightful. Our youngest daughter was able to connect my new smart camera to the internet so I could share photos. Then she brought out some of the old games from the foyer –starting with SORRY, with modified rules. Next came Animal Families Memory game — 72 cards, no reading required, ages 4 to 10. I watched as my youngest granddaughter challenged her mother and grandfather to a game. I was tired, so I begged off but promised I would play the next morning.

Six o’clock comes very early in the morning. My granddaughter was bright eyed and ready to go. My brain decided to sleep in but a promise is a promise. A cup of coffee didn’t help. I hoped I would be able to match one or two pair. My granddaughter took pity on me and helped me find THREE pair. I was NOT impressed with my ability. Meanwhile, my grandson, (8) was intrigued. So we played another game. He gave his sister a run for the money — I did just a little bit better. A second cup of coffee helped. Even when I remembered where a match was, they had their turn first and beat me every time. Thankfully I had a little “help” from the other side so I had more than three pairs.

When their mother got up, her brain stayed in bed also. I’ll have to admit that even brain challenged she did a lot better than I did. Next our champion challenged her father. He was under the false impression that we were helping her to win. As a doctor, he has a good working memory. Which is a good thing since his daughter showed him how she plays the game.

Both of those games were favorites of our daughter — which I had forgotten. In my quest to eliminate stuff, those games could have easily been eliminated. Thankfully I hadn’t reached that area of the house.

My husband had NO PROBLEM. In the first game, he helped our granddaughter make matches. Last year he studied to get both the technician and general license in HAM radio. He exercised his brain and it showed. I haven’t taken on any memory challenges and it showed.

I’m reminded often to meditate and I will admit that I try without success. Sometimes my mind is just to busy to settle and other times, it just stays blank, resting in its nothingness. After my daughter and family left for home, I caught up on some of my e-mails. I read that a Harvard MRI study proved that meditation literally rebuilds the brains gray matter in 8 weeks. Either I have to get out the cards for the memory game and practice or meditate more often or both. NUDGED!

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

LEARNING THE ROPES

Mischief is afoot. I would raise the white flag but I know it won’t do any good. It took me awhile to become aware that someone was in training. But I’m a bit slow at times. Christmas is coming and my life will be busy. Not necessarily with parties and celebrations but baking and decorating the house seems to take more time and effort than it used to. I refuse to admit that it is because I’m heavier and older. I can’t do anything about being older but wouldn’t you think I’d be able to do something about the weight? I needed a few ideas to write a ramble about so they would publish during the time I was occupied with Christmas. My friends in high places are happy to oblige.

Anyway back to training. My friend Dorothy passed on Tuesday. My favorite knife DISAPPEARED on Wednesday morning. I have searched and searched without success. I remember putting it in its holder on the sink — GONE! I think life was relatively calm from Wednesday to Sunday but then my memory isn’t what it used to be. I know I should keep notes of the happening in my life but I don’t unless my attention is drawn to a happening — like my knife disappearing.

Saturday we celebrated Dorothy’s life. Sunday got my attention. Did she have time to rest, visit with those on the other side and was now ready to expand her knowledge. I don’t know but Sunday got my attention. It started with my husband’s poker game floating face down in the toilet. When did it go for a swim? Good question. I went to Mass and let the rest of the household sleep. I walked and it started to rain as I entered church. The gospel was the same as the reading at the service on Saturday. Our music director was late and a cantor with an excellent voice lead us in song.

On the home front, my husband’s day was interesting. Vitamins and pills had a life of their own — falling on the floor and spreading around the desk. He mentioned other happenings but I don’t remember. We decided we should take life easy and go out for breakfast. The restaurant was so packed we left for another place. Everybody must have been out for breakfast, finding a parking spot at the restaurants was impossible. I won’t bore you with the search just let me say five restaurants later we finally stopped to eat. Thankfully the food was very good.

Returning home, I wanted a cup of tea. Eight boxes of tea cascaded out of the cabinet all over the floor. I often switch to herbal teas early in the day and I have an assortment. I was reminded of all the flavors as I picked up the boxes and tried to get them settled again. Sometimes one or two boxes will fall — as if someone is helping me with the choice — but eight??

I wrote CELEBRATING A LIFE. Evidently some of my writing didn’t pass — the computer refused to save it. I deleted and changed a few thoughts. The ramble was saved!

I wanted to print something off of the computer and used the computer in my husband’s office. Trouble, trouble again. The computer had issues, when it finally let me access my e-mails — they were all gone. I was reminded of the fun my family experienced after my father passed and was learning how to mess with electronics the day of his wake. Our son and our daughter’s boyfriend each had different computer issues on that day.

Four days to visit and rest — that is about right.

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

CELEBRATING A LIFE

In my writing, I try to protect the privacy of the persons who are included in my rambles — except for today. A very good friend of mine has passed to the other side. We met more than 25 years ago. Our company had merged with another, instead of traveling 10 minutes from home — I now had to drive over twenty miles, one way each day. I did the billing at our company — a job I retained when we moved. Dorothy was customer service. The welfare of her customers was first and foremost in her mind. We clashed — my ways and her ways DID NOT MESH! Dorothy was stubborn — so was I. From the clashes evolved a great friendship. When our company closed in 1991, we remained friends. We continued to talk on the phone, and go out to eat on a regular basis. She liked Chinese food — her daughter didn’t. I like Chinese food — my husband doesn’t. I drove our car to her house, but I HAD TO DRIVE her car wherever we were going. She was determined and for a change I gave in. We often picked up another working companion and then met a fourth. The four of us continued to get together for many years.

And the years passed and we aged. Dorothy and I got together in May of this year — visiting at her home instead of going out to eat. And I knew it would be the last time I would see her. Soon after, she had trouble breathing and was rushed to the hospital. Event followed event. When she was first hospitalized, she was in intensive care and I was unable to visit. Summer arrived which was very busy in our household, Dorothy was transferred to a nursing home but I was unable to visit. Her daughter provided me with updates about her condition. I bought a sympathy card in case I was unable to attend the services. It traveled with me all summer. Then fall arrived and the phone call I had been expecting arrived.

I knew I would only know Dorothy’s daughter and sons but I also knew I was going to the service and would stay for the prayers. I saw Dorothy’s daughter before I even entered the building. Dorothy’s illness has been hard on her, she has shrunk in size. When I entered the building, I saw a friend of Dorothy’s that she knew since childhood. She had joined us for several meals in various places. I thought she was a cousin but learned that the friend’s mother welcomed Dorothy who didn’t have any brothers or sisters into her own brood of six. Many of Dorothy’s friends dated back to childhood, or school, or early married life. When Dorothy made a friend, she developed and kept the friendship. Her oldest son shared a story of Dorothy’s trip to Greece. She had a heart attack and was hospitalized. Her son’s flew over to bring her home. Dorothy retained the friend ship she made in Greece until she passed.

I didn’t plan to stop to eat. But when I said goodbye to daughter and son’s, I was told that Dorothy would have wanted me to stop to eat. And I knew what they said was true. So I gave in.

I wore a pin to the service of four females representing the four who worked together. One is in Texas, one is in a senior assisted living home, Dorothy has passed over and I continue doing the best I can. The pin stayed somewhere along my route yesterday.

Dorothy often accompanied her daughter to Las Vegas or attended the various casinos in our area. She won a thousand dollars at an opening recently. This morning, I found my husband’s poker game floating in our toilet. I left him a note that the game was depressed, so it went for a swim. I fished it out and now it is surrounded by rice — hopefully it will work once it dries out. ?? What more can I say. Dorothy crossed over at the young age of 88 — WELCOME HOME. Have you joined my team in high places? Thankfully I KNOW you are there!

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

DOT TO DOT

I woke this morning thinking how the various synchronicities in my life direct me. When I enrolled for a class in creative writing, may years ago, our professor said that when synchronicities occur in your life, and you recognize them, more occur. If you have been reading my blog for a while, maybe you have noticed some.

To recap the past month: At coffee at the campground, someone told me about a camera — Christmas is coming — I now have the camera. Even though I don’t know how to use all the functions yet, I was able to capture a skirmish between my husband and my granddaughter with light wands — complete with sound. Since my husband usually doesn’t become involved in their battles, this film is priceless.

I had been looking for a new coat with functional pockets — Shopping on Wednesday I misplaced my change purse with my credit cards and money. Frantic search of my purse didn’t produce the missing item. Searching the pockets of my jacket did. Shopping later that day at Costco — I found a coat with functional pockets that fit. (It is very warm.) I had to return to Costco on Friday to get a perscription for my husband. The coats were already gone. I talked to an employee who I have known for many years. She confided that she almost took her own life on Tuesday with a knife laying on the counter. She heard God tell her to get out of the house. She said she wasn’t sad, depressed, or worried. She didn’t know what caused it, she thought it was Satan but she planned to talk to her chaplain. When I told her about a prayer I had for the Archangel Michael, she asked if I had another copy. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that I DON’T HEAR GOD talking to me. I’m glad she did. Needless to say, I was back at Costco on Saturday with a copy of the prayer for her.

(The card was written by a pope in the 18th century. He had just finished saying a private Mass when he heard a conversation between God and Satan. Satan said he would destroy the church. The pope returned to his quarters and wrote the prayer.) We happened to be in the country for Mass on the day the prayer cards were given out. I asked if I could have a couple.

This morning I was trying to sign on to my I Pad. I wanted to meditate. BLOCKS WERE UP. I signed on to face book but it didn’t matter how many times I hit the space to access the meditation — nothing happened. I finally signed onto Face book itself. I saw a message form our older granddaughter mentioning a tornado that was in there area last night. After I got that message, I was able to access the meditation. I have to admit, most times I’m not able to meditate — I have a blank screen but I’m stubborn. I’m not giving up yet.

Most of the time I don’t connect the dots when I’m writing. I leave it to the reader to see them, of course, sometimes I don’t see them myself until later.

“HELP” in my life doesn’t occur with flashing lights, just an ordinary event occurs followed by another ordinary event. I only get hit on the head when I’m not paying attention. Hopefully this ramble will help you connect the dots in your life.

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

Tag Cloud