The Accordion of Time

What is there about time that is so fluid and collapsible? My mother died when I was 16. I am now 75. In the intervening 59 years, I have married, had a wonderful step-mother, had two children who grew to be amazing women, had grandchildren, lived through the death of my first husband and have had 17 years so far with a second. The blended family makes me the grandmother of 13 delightful young people from ages 27 to 2. Life has been broad and incredibly fulfilling. And yet - and yet - once in a while, like today at lunch preparing avocado and grapefruit salad, my mom is with me as if I had been in her kitchen yesterday. 

I was very aware I cut the ingredients differently than she did. I use a different dressing because I never have found a French dressing that matches her homemade and I don’t have the recipe. I was overwhelmed by her presence. Like it was yesterday. Although I do not understand it, I am grateful for this accordion of time that allows for such love to be present. 

Palm Sunday Reflection

 If I may be allowed a paraphrase: Greater love has no person than this, that he or she lay down a life of power and privilege in Congress and their campaign financing by the NRA for our children and grandchildren that they may study in safety, walk the streets in safety, stand in their own backyard with a cell phone in safety. Blessed be they. 

Easy When You Know How

There is a Chinese medicine I use, recommended by my acupuncturist, that works as a coagulant for my nose bleeds. Technically it is used as a tea to stimulate circulation but it also stops bleeding and for that I am very grateful. Now before you get all worried, I have nose bleeds mainly because it so dry where we live. I try to keep the house humidified but once in a while - or when I am sick - my nose bleeds and this powder is the perfect solution. And . . . it is hard to obtain.

This month my Chinese daughter-in-law is in China visiting her family. I sent her a picture of the box, explaining everything and assuring her if she couldn't find it, it was ok, etc. etc.

If an email could give you a shoulder shrug, this one did. Of course she could find it. It was very popular in China, cheap and easy to pick up in any pharmacy. She would be glad to bring me some.

Wow. Thank you, Chenlu! Something that seemed hard became very simple. You just have to have a Chinese connection!

Grand Kudos

I have written about grandson Kyle before as when he brought pizza one night. Today he proved himself again.

Dean is sick - really sick. He has "just" a cold and it is a horrible one that has come back on him after almost going away. Unlike the sort of funny video on FB where the guy with the sniffles lies in bed and orders around the gal who is really sick, Dean refuses to acknowledge a cold and often works himself beyond what is good for him. He has been taking cold meds but he is still sick. 

This afternoon Kyle was coming by to pick up some things and offered to buy dog food (which comes in a 50 lb bag to be carried up three flights of stairs) and pick up more of Dean's cold meds. On his way out of the house, he carried out the trash. What a treasure!!

As one of my daughters says, "We love Kyle." 

Yes we do - and not just because he kept both of us from having to go out in snow and rain this afternoon, but first and foremost because he is just a terrific man and a grand grand! 

Gotta Love Technology

Dean lost his phone. Siri - or whatever the process is that does such things - told him it was in the middle of the road between our house and the grocery. Off we went and sure enough just a little ways down the main road into town, there was his phone lying in the middle of the street. Both the phone and Dean were almost run over as he tried to retrieve it. Neither happened and the phone is safe and sound.

And how did that happen, you may ask. Well, Dean's phone travels in a little case that has a magnet that closes the case into his pocket. In the grocery store,  he had gotten very hot and left to take his jacket to the car. He took off the jacket and as he did, the magnet must have pulled the phone case from his jacket pocket onto the side of the car. Neither of us noticed it as we were finishing loading the car. Driving home, the wind finally loosened the case enough that it fell off the car and into the road. Thank goodness it fell on the dividing line so it wasn't directly under the wheels of on-coming cars. Following Siri's good instructions, we drove right to the phone, Dean pulled over, got out and rescued the phone. You gotta love technology!!