Category: Uncategorized

Hello from Portland

Portland is peaceful and safe.

Just this morning at my gym, an older woman told me about being downtown for a concert and later walking several blocks to the parking garage for her car around 10:00 P.M.

There are many wonderful things to do downtown – the art museum, the historical society, the riverfront, and fantastic restaurants. Our downtown is beautiful with tree-lined streets, art installations, beautiful buildings and parks. As a grandmother, I take public transportation, I walk around downtown, visit restaurants, bakeries and shops.

I love and appreciate our downtown and bristle at untrue “news” reports that chaos and violence are running rampant.

Besides a peaceful city, the troops that arrive will enjoy a beautiful city, fantastic food and friendly people.

Sounds like a vacation for them.

The rest of us, the people of Portland will stay calm and carry on!

A broken pane

I was in my bedroom at my son’s house when I heard a crash followed by loud sobbing.

I ran to the living room to learn that my exuberant granddaughter had crashed into the glass front door while doing a backflip.

Backflips, round-offs, headstands…all par for the course for this enthusiastic gymnast. 

There was plenty of space for her to practice in the front room as long as she left herself enough clearance for landing.  

She was lucky that she wasn’t hurt. 

Thank goodness that my son can handle household repairs.

He sighed, brought out his tools and got on with it.

While replacing the glass pane, they discussed the incident.

He was kind and understanding while underscoring the importance of being careful. 

She learned a lot that day to include how to remove and replace a door pane.  

Thinking things over, I wondered if my son recalled breaking one of my good plates when he was little. I hope that I showed him the same grace.

Tall Tales

I am spending Thanksgiving with my son and his 8-year old daughter.

It is lovely.  My son takes care of everything.

I still find lots to keep busy but at a slower pace. 

Leisurely coffee in the morning, a peaceful walk.

Listening to my 8-year old granddaughter relate stories that are on the edge. 

She tells them with such conviction that it is hard to remember that they are fiction.

For example, while visiting me this summer she insisted that her Dad and she were flying from Alabama to go trick or treating in New York City.   Believe it or not, her boyfriend and his family were going to meet them in New York City!

I did not believe it but she was so insistent that I thought, “Well, maybe.”   

I mean, who can argue with a verbal and insistent 8-year old?

When her Dad arrived to take her home, he chuckled that I would even consider that the story was true. 

Silly Oma, believing this tall tale!

Home Alone When Girls Are Prey

She knew better but felt she had no choice.

Her mother was at work.

She was home with her two brothers, one older at nine, one younger at five.

The man at the door kept knocking. 

Continue reading “Home Alone When Girls Are Prey” →

November 9, 2024

I must calm down.

I am not sleeping well.

I am stress eating.

I am on edge waiting for the next shoe to drop.

I am walking, working, exercising, talking with family and friends.

Playing with my sweet dog.

All of these help to pass the time and keep me centered.

But nothing gives me a sense of well-being and optimism.

Jumping Jacks?

Do you remember jumping jacks?

I did them in elementary school with my classmate, especially on rainy days when we could not go outside to play.

As an adult, I did them now and then in aerobic classes but they fell out of my repertoire. Until now.

With the onset of rain, rain and more rain, I switched to more indoor activities instead of walking as much. I still walk in the rain but with a dog on slippery sidewalks…not my favorite!

I walk up and down my stairs as a matter of course throughout the day and try to set aside time to walk steadily for five minutes or so. I listen to a favorite song while I walk slowly up and backwards down the stairs. My dog Riley is normally good about sitting watching me.

Enter my new smart watch which indicated that I am not getting my heart rate up high enough. So, I decided to add jumping jacks to my daily activities.

Wow, talk about exhausting! I managed to squeeze out a pitiful ten, not the best form, but my heart was pumping.

Now the challenge is to do ten measly jumping jacks quickly and robustly.

Is it worth it? I hope so.

I will let you know!

Google Surprise

I had a $200 credit from Google that could be redeemed only in the online Google Store.

Google is huge, huge company.

My last encounter with their hierarchy took days of calling before I spoke with a person who resolved my problem quickly and efficiently.

Still smarting from that experience, I dreaded starting the process, but $200 is $200.

So, I decided today was the day to contact their support division. I was prepared to call day after day until I reached someone who could help me.

I was flabbergasted when I reached someone within a relatively short period of time.

Like magic my problem was resolved and my $200 credit was spent.

In a few days, I will receive a smart watch. I chose this because of the fall detection feature.

I fell a few weeks ago and hit my head on my kitchen counter.

All of this was caught on my security camera. My feet were in the air and the sound of whimpering was pitiful.

More pitiful was the reason I fell…tripping over a rake in my kitchen!

Of course, it could have been a mop, broom or even the vacuum cleaner.

Maybe I should not sweep, mop or vacuum my floors or rake the leaves in the front yard?

Seriously, this was a wake up call that I needed a plan in case I fell and could not get up.

I will let you know how life is with my new smart watch.

Lucky Me

Lucky me…

I get to work with a bully.

As if life were not challenging enough, feeling the heel of a jerk on my neck is beyond the pale.

The challenge is to maintain my professionalism at all times.

It is the only choice.

Being an older female in America is not easy.

Being in charge of my behavior and attitude is not easy either.

I must not cede my dignity.

This too shall pass.

Cancer

As a widow, I know the pain that comes with loss. 

I thought I was immune to the fear of death.  

Like the heroine of a Greek tragedy, I could bear the worst.  

Yet, when I was diagnosed with cancer, my stoic wall crumbled.

I was terrified.  I could not focus.  I could not settle down. 

This was Friday afternoon. Surgery was scheduled for Tuesday.

A long time away.

Over the weekend, I turned to the Internet to research my cancer. A big no-no. The information added to my agony. 

Surgery

The surgery went smoothly.

The wait for the results was  excruciating.

The days passed slowly.

My anxiety was through the roof.

I kept checking my phone for a missed call from my doctor.

When my doctor finally called to tell me that I was cancer-free, the relief was indescribable.

I could breathe again. I was giddy and thankful. Another chance!

And now

I  regret the time that I lost worrying and imagining the worst.

It’s easy to get caught up in fear, especially when death seems to be waiting in the next room. 

I hope to live in the present.

Life is too short to spend my days worrying.

My days are numbered. 

They always have been.  

Return of a friend

Over a year ago, my friend suddenly ghosted me.  

It was very painful as we had been close friends for over 20 years.  

My emails, calls and texts went unanswered.  

I had no idea what had happened.

Finally I stopped.  I moved on.  

Continue reading “Return of a friend” →