Timing Is Everything.....

I worked for a small hospice in Maryland and then, while living in Bay View, I worked for VITAS Hopice for five year until I retired. Over the years I heard so many stories from families who connected a special "thing" with a loved one lost. A certain butterfly, a cardinal or a rainbow....each time they saw this special-to-them omen it brought a missing someone to mind.

For me its always been the full moon. The night my mom died I walked out of the hospital outside Chicago, glanced up and there was the most beautiful full moon with the "man" in the moon smiling down. Immediately "he" transformed to "she" and so every month when I see a full moon it's my mom smiling down and sending an invisible hug. And six months later my mother-in-law died in Massachusetts....on a full moon night. And the moon's phases seem to drop a full moon for me at some very odd times....times when its really meant a lot. Once, flying out of O'Hare to go to Ireland, I glanced out my side window and the biggest full moon was smiling right back at me. Tears.....because flying to Europe was made possible by inheritance left by both our moms. And she appeared on our 50th anniversary while we were eating dinner....beaming right in through the dining room window.

Today Dave and I got our second COVID vaccines and walking away from the clinic I got very teary. I was a bit surprised at how emotional this needle-into-the-left-arm was for me. And I felt so very lucky....and I was wishing that everyone I love could get their vaccines NOW. Friends who are trying to find shots all over America. My "kids", their spouses.and four grandsons who are too young to qualify. I want America to reach herd immunity and I want to go back to at least most of my pre-COVID life. The sense of relief at having "found" our two shots was just huge.

Then, back home, it was 4:30 and time to take Fenway for his before dinner walk. He and I left the building, turned toward the lake to make our way along the sidewalk....snow melting on both sides. I happened to look up....and you guessed it....there she was.

How did she know? More tears......because I got my shots, because I miss my mom, because I'm really almost thankful she wasn't here to navigate this past year. Just tears.....

500 Candles.......

It was a moment that made you stop....and look and listen. We were driving home from our Florida winter break when radio news began to state that America had crossed another milestone....one that was just so hard to wrap your brain around. 500,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the virus first showed up about a year ago. 500,000....more than all the loved ones buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

The news indicated that President Biden would be commemorating the tragic loss on television at dusk. By then we were home, and unpacking, and watching TV in the background.

As the broadcasters stopped talking and President Biden began the moment became even "heavier"..... I listened to remarks meant to comfort a nation, spoken by a man who knows all too well the grief that accompanies loss of a loved one.

He was "Comforter In Chief" for those few moments and the image of President, First Lady, Vice-President and Second Gentleman bowing their heads for a moment of silence before the bells began to toll at the National Cathedral is one that will stay with me.

My little family hasn't lost anyone to this deadly virus....and for that I am most grateful. But all the other families across America....the collective sadness, quiet, grief....it seems to permeate the air around me. Sadness.....just sadness.....it's hard to find the hope.

Not This One....

When we arrived at the little cottage in Pensacola we found a basket full of dog toys in one kitchen cupboard. Someone was a happy boy! We added the toys we’d brought along and Fenway did what he does at home.....occasional walking over to the basket to find the chosen toy and chewing or “taunting” us to try and get it from him!

Except for the unacceptable one that some other dog owner left behind. It’s one of those chewy sticks that is supposed to be good for your dog’s teeth.

At some point every day Fenway would dig around and find this chew stick. And then he would quickly pace around the condo. Circle the table in the dining room, back toward the bedrooms, back past us as we sat on the couch, back around the table and then disappear through the kitchen. We would tell him to “find a good place!”

A few minutes later he was back, but nothing in his mouth. Hmmmm....where was that unacceptable toy? No worries.....at some point we would find it.

Last night I climbed into bed and found something scratchy under the pillow. My turn to sleep with it.

“Sadly” Portable Addiction.....

It’s no secret that I love to quilt. I started with a class back in Freeport, Illinois about 1977 and have been at it ever since. I even worked in two quilt shops over the years until I realized that my paycheck wasn’t coming home with me. When we travel I always google “quilt shops near me” and have had a lot of fun finding big and small fabric shops all over the country. I usually buy several 1/2 yard pieces at this point to add to my stash......but sometimes, just sometimes that self-imposed restriction doesn’t work.

Here in Pensacola I discovered A & E Fabrics and Crafts. When I walked through the door (COVID mask in place) I realized this was a huge store and I had just entered quilter’s heaven. The store is family owned and has been in operation since 1954 boasting more than 30,000 bolts of fabric!

So......my 1/2 yard “rule” didn’t work. I walked up and down the aisles trying to make myself ignore most of the colorful offerings. With Dave and Fenway waiting in the RV I felt a little pressure to hurry. The resulting purchase included fabric I simply could not “ignore”.

When I climbed back into our little RV I realized my boys had fallen asleep in the back while waiting. Hmmmm....I may take them shopping in our camper from now on.

I’ve only been back to A & E once....but then we are in town for another week.

Litigation.....

We continue to enjoy semi-warm weather here in Pensacola......at least it’s been much warmer than the way-below wind chill temperatures in Wisconsin! As we spend evenings watching the TV I’m noticing that people in western Florida and across the line in Alabama seem to need a lot of legal help. I thought there were a lot of ads for legal firms in Milwaukee.... but Florida wins.

If you need help you can contact Greene and Phillips , Mike Slocumb or The Long Brothers.  If those firms don’t seem like a good fit try Emmanuel, Shepherd and Condon or Alexander Shunnard and maybe they will take your case. If not continue down the line and try Dean Waite, Andy Sitrin or Whibbs, Stone and Barnett. Morgan and Morgan state they will be happy to help you win in court so you can always call them.

Keep in mind these ads all came across the screen on one day. Maybe Iwill just hide inside our cottage....it seems safe in here!

Happy Puppy.....

Three days driving for Camper Boy and we are unpacked in our little Pensacola cottage. It will be very comfortable for a month and we’ve just avoided a big snow storm in Wisconsin with another one on the way. 

From Fenway’s point of view the best thing about this place is the fenced back yard. We let him out of the back door to “be a good puppy” and he kinda of looks as us as if to say “Don’t I need my leash?”

And then there was the wonderful discovery in a kitchen cabinet.....a whole basket of dog toys! Since the cottage is dog-friendly these must have been gathered and left behind by other tenants. 

Happy puppy.....happy “parents”....