The Joy of Six...

Friendship and Gratitude

  As I was looking through my blogroll checking to see where I need to make my next visits, I couldn’t help but think about all the truly wonderful people that have touched my life since I started blogging.  As I read each title a crystal clear picture of that blogging friend popped into my head; for by now I already know what most of them look like through pictures they have shared on their blogs.  But there are still a few that are yet a mystery and I have conjured up a distinct image in my head of what they could possibly look like.  You know how those images are….most of the time they’re completely wrong and you are totally stunned when you actually see that person looked nothing like you imagined.  It’s the same when you get a chance to hear their voices for the first time too. 

 

We’ve all shared so many personal moments with each other.  Some moments were shared in sorrow and grief where we lifted each other up in our comments and e-mails to one another…in words of encouragement and support.  Many moments were shared in joy and laughter…..so many…..for we are a community of comedians who love to make one another laugh, and spread joy through our words and our hearts.  You all know just what I’m talking about. 

 

I have read some of your posts and have cried as I’ve taken the emotion of your heartfelt thoughts with me throughout my day.  I’ve sat in my bed pondering some of the things you’ve written or laughed over a particularly ridiculous cartoon you've posted....or daydreamed over an exceptionally beautiful photograph you took.  I’ve rehashed in my head some of the kindest comments left on a post that were so warm and thoughtful I wished there was a way I could have been able to reach out and given you a hug.   

 

I have made some changes to my blogroll over the nearly three years since I started blogging; but as I look at the list, I’m feeling so very grateful for all of my friends….those that have been with me for quite some time……. Ronni, Suzann, Winston, Judy, Kay, Janeywan, Junie, Joared, Buffy, Peggy, Chancy, Elsie, Liz, Mary, Maria, Peter, Merle, Jen, Roberta, Susan, Lea, Marty, Mark, Cop Car, Lucy, Troy, Bob, Rain, Toraa, Miffy, Paul, Marilyn, Mary Lou, Cassie, Grannymar, Tamarika, Betty, and a very sweet and lovely lady who passed away on June 15^th who many of us loved and visited on a daily basis….Joycelyn Ward, aka Maya’s Granny….she will be dearly missed.   

 

And those that have been more recent additions.... 

Virginia, Darlene, Denise, Val, Claudia, and Bear Naked; but it feels like they’ve been long-time friends already.  We’ve had many outrageous and wonderful e-mails between us and they are all great and unique individuals.  That's the beauty of this community. 

Virginia has helped me with codes for the buttons on my side bars.  There’s no way I could have done that without her.  Denise is the Senior Community Manager on the BlogHer site.  She is not only one of the nicest people I’ve ever known, but she is one sharp lady…..and I’m so grateful to have her to work with.

 

We have many things to be thankful for in our lives, and we all need to take inventory of that from time to time to really appreciate what we have.  Friends are a blessing…..you bring a lot of joy into my life my dear friends.   ~Joy

Happy Entrails to You…Until We Fleet Again

It was six years and counting since my last colonoscopy, and I was just fine with adding a few more decades to my next encounter.  Actually, I was only three years delinquent.  I was supposed to go in for one in 2005.  But hey, I had a few other things that took priority that particular year over the joyous delight of roto-rooting my colon.  I had lost my job and soon after lost my husband to cancer…..then my father-in-law passed away, and then my mother….all within seven months of each other.  The colonoscopy would have actually been a high point.

This was my fourth go round to be scoped, so I was hardly a babe-in-the-woods.  I pretty much knew what to expect.  The funny thing….it’s not so much the actual scoping that’s the ‘big deal.’  HONEST!  It’s EVERYTHING around it.  It’s the day before!  Drinking that “Fleet” Cocktail…..or whatever it is that they tell you to drink.  I’ve had several versions.  This time I had to drink (2) 1 ½ oz. Fleet Phospho-soda oral saline laxatives…ginger-lemon flavor, mmmm…yummy.  I had to take these doses 5 hours apart.  Yep, I followed the instructions to the letter.  Drank exactly the amounts of the proper liquid during and after.                                                                                                    

Well, for approximately 7 ½ hours (until around midnight) …..I made trips to the bathroom every 10 or 15 minutes….give or take a few minutes.  I honestly began to wonder if I was going to get any sleep before having to get myself together by 8:00 in the morning to go to the hospital for the ‘other’ fun part.  But the Gods were kind and decided to let me catch a few winks.   I guess they thought I was scary looking enough with sleep; let’s give her a break.

You know once you’re actually in the room and on the table for the procedure it’s ‘Bing, Bang, Boom.’  Change into that lovely gown that leaves your butt hanging out oh so nicely.  Put the ‘ol blood pressure cuff on your arm securely for the next ???? …..oh you never remember how long it is because you’re kind of floaty and fuzzy.  Put the IV in the top of your hand…just a little pinch, and yep, you’re good  to go.                                                                                                      

“Hi Joy.  How are you doing?  Feeling okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine Doc.”

 

“We’re going to be starting the twilight anesthetic in your IV now, so you’ll be feeling kinda sleepy soon.”

 

“Yep, sounds good.  Thanks Doc.”

 

“Bye-bye...giggle, giggle” (Natasha the nurse)                                                             

That’s the last thing I remember until I heard the nurse talking and then the doctor coming over to me saying we were done and everything looked good.  The nurse wheeled me into the recovery room where the doctor came in with this report of what he did during my colonoscopy.  Pictures and everything.  I don’t remember a report quite like that before…..pretty cool.  I had a very small polyp that the doctor took out and sent for a biopsy; but said that it looked to be fine, and to call his office about in a couple of days.  Other than that the whole procedure was uneventful and ran smoothly.                                                             

I left with my designated driver….Jenna, a few rules to follow, and some excess air bubbles hanging around.  I’m suppose to go back in five years.  Maybe by then they’ll come up with something better to drink.  I suppose something in a nice chocolate malt would be defeating the purpose huh? 

Sweethearts Two

When you were little I couldn’t imagine that there could ever be anyone who could take better care of you than I could.  I couldn’t imagine that anyone could watch over you and keep you from harm’s way as well as me.  As you grew up and life took more and more moments of you away from me, I knew I had to have faith that you would make good decisions for yourselves that would keep you on a smart and safe path; or that you would choose others in your lives that would be wise enough to watch over you in a way that might reassure a slightly paranoid mom.  I needed to know that they would adore you for everything you had to offer, which was considerable. 

If they could love you with just a fraction of the love I felt from the first moment I touched all your fingers and toes and kissed your little bald heads, then I surely could be at peace for the rest of my days.  You have chosen well sweet girls.  Even before the ‘right’ ones came along in your lives, you had done well by yourselves.  Out of my reach and parted by far too many miles you both walked into womanhood more beautifully than I could ever have dreamed of.    I was proud of your choices, your decisions, and your values….and so terribly proud of the strong women you had become.  One thing became quite obvious…. you needed no protection from me any longer. 

     

It’s hard not to have you close by.  Sometimes when we talk on the phone I wish I could just pull you through the receiver for a little hug or two.  Our time together is precious.  You have a world of people who love you.  I will forever hold the record.

 

June 16th....

 

My sweet Gemini girls....beautiful ladies....

                      Always and ever,

                               Mom  ~xo~                                                                                                                                                                                     

New Hand Art...and a foot

My sweet friend Nancy Leitz sent me a great e-mail the other day thinking I might want to share it with everyone....and she was right.  She's gotten to know me pretty well through our e-mails to each other and she knows I love this stuff and have had many similar posts on my blog.  Nancy doesn't have her own blog, but many of us know her.   She makes many visits around the blogosphere and leaves wonderful and humorous comments wherever she goes.  I know I love it when she visits my blog...she always makes me laugh with her witty and thoughtful conversation.  She also has written some great posts over at The Elder Storytelling Place....like here.....and here ....just a couple examples of her wonderful warmth and humor.

Thanks again Nancy for thinking of me.   Enjoy everyone!

(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

                   Bye - Bye......

Dogs in the Hood

Until I began my daily 'health' walks I never realized how many dogs we had in our neighborhood.  Honestly, I think there is a dog or two attached to every other yard that I pass.  They run up to the fences loudly barking their protests of my intruding on their territory, madly wagging their tails.  Some bark and stop and just wait to see if I'll get into conversation with them.  Some keep barking until they see the very last hair on my head leave their sight.  I know those pups feel they've done their job as protectors of the property.

It doesn't matter which route I take from my house, I always run into pooches that I'll have a little chat with.  "Hi fella.  How ya doin'?  What's going on?  I'm Joy....what's your name?  Okay, see ya later,  bye little guy."  Most are very accommodating.  Some are downright adorable.  Some are not "chatty" material.  In fact, there are a few I have learned to walk by quickly....rather angry souls.  Fence or not...they make me a little uncomfortable, so I just pick up the pace.

My neighborhood has probably always had a lot of dogs....I just never noticed it when I was busy raising kids in it.  Now when there are very few kids to be seen running down our sidewalks and through our yards, at least there are always an abundance of little furry friends to stop and say hi to.

 

I think I could be a little paranoid. Well, maybe...what do you think? Yeah, I am. Or maybe....

                                                                                                                                                                  Want to see what I don't feel guilty eating these days?

 

 

You're lookin' at it!

...and that's why I hate physicals.

                                                                                                                                                                

Art That Makes You Go....Hmmmmm!

 Just some things I thought were cool and wanted to share.......(Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger for easier viewing.)

 

   

How many horses do you see?  Should be seven. (Click on picture to get a better  view.)                                                                                     

Where does the middle column end?

Can you see four people in this picture?

 

 

(Definitely click on the picture above to make larger.)

 

                                        Happy Memorial Day everyone!                                       Hugs, Joy   

Here’s To My Health….Oooo, ah, Ouch….

Me and my achy body came in from my walk around the neighborhood yesterday….my new ritual that I have recently constituted along with my new, healthier diet.  It’s not an automatic thing for me….never has been; but it’s the ‘NEW’ plan on my way to a healthier lifestyle.  Why?  Because my “OLD’ plan apparently hasn’t been cutting it…..albeit is a heck of a lot more fun.   However, according to my doctor, MY plan will start working against me if I don’t take some serious action and do something about it…..NOW.  Though nothing is life-threatening, he’s worried about the possibilities of things like Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and such….all related to my on-going battle to lose weight.  I already have some of the achy knees, hips and back stuff that comes with the territory of getting older.  It’s not like I haven’t heard those words before, and it’s not like I didn’t already know what he was going to tell me.  I’m just not crazy about being told, and I don’t give him much of a chance to lecture me since I make as few appearances to his office as possible…..you know; I’ve got to be feeling pretty shitty and willing to risk a lecture. As nice as he is, and as good a relationship as we have…I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop.                                                                                                   

Unfortunately I was scheduled for one of those appointments…..I didn’t have a choice.  They were holding my prescriptions hostage and wouldn’t fill them until I came in for a complete physical.  Cripes, it had only been four years.  That didn’t seem so outrageous to me.  But my doctor knows me pretty well.  He wanted the whole battery of tests done.  I always feel like a car going in for a complete tune-up.  Heart…fine.  Hearing…fine.  Blood pressure….good. (Well fine for being on medicine.)  Mammogram….fine.  EKG…fine.  Lungs…fine.  Cholesterol….okay.  A slight elevation in my glucose count.  This is the main reason why I’m constituting the ‘NEW’ plan…..bummer.                                                                                                       

Hey, it is what it is.  I didn’t gain this weight overnight.  I’ve had a sweet tooth all my life.  I’ve loved bread and starches all my life.  What I don’t quite remember is:  When did I get so lazy?  I was always so naturally active.  As a kid I couldn’t sit still…..I was a tomboy.  As a teenager I was a cheerleader and into gymnastics and loved sports.  As a young mother I was constantly ‘on the go’ running after little ones.  That didn’t stop for years…well into their high school years really.  Maybe it happened when they went off to college and things slowed down for me.                                                                                                                      

It became a very different life in my late forties and fifties when there were really no more kids in the house and it was just my husband and I.  I worked some of those years, but things were definitely slowing down….and I must have been slowing down right along with them whether I knew it or not.  I was okay with that.  I think it was even my plan.  Then of course there are always those things you never plan for.                                                                                                                      

Death has a way of slowing you down like nothing else.  It can immobilize you if you’re not careful.  I was surprised at how well I thought I did after my husband, Joel, died 2 ½ years ago.  I did what I had to.  I handled whatever needed to be taken care of….almost like a checklist; and still tried to feel like I was existing in my normal day….or what could be normal for me at that point.  Then right on the heels of that, I got hit with my mother getting ill and her death.  Here’s how I remember my existence at that time….                                                                                    

I took care of paperwork and legal issues.  I blogged and read blogs.  I worked on BlogHer.  I cleaned some of Joel’s things out.  I saw family members.  I read blogs.  I worked on BlogHer.  I had things fixed in the house that Joel never got around to.  I’d drive out to see my mother and bring her what she needed.  I talked on the phone to my kids…a lot.  I played games on the computer.  I read  blogs. I blogged.  I e-mailed.  I reviewed blogs for BlogHer.  I met with my brother to discuss my mother. I had more things repaired around the house.  I met with a financial advisor, insurance agents and bank representatives.  I spent time with my kids.  I played and worked on the computer.  I had lunch with friends.  I blogged.  I answered e-mails.  I blogged.  I worked on BlogHer.  Along with my brother, I took care of the details of my mother’s death.  I finally flew out to see my new grandson, Bastian, two months late.  And I joyfully celebrated the marriage of my beautiful daughter, Jory.

                                                                                                          

Does anyone notice a pattern here?  Does anyone see one mention of exercise?  Well in all honesty, that wouldn’t be totally fair.  There have been periods in those 2 ½ years that I actually did exercise on a fairly regular basis on my stationary bike that my son, Joe, got for me.  My problem is consistency.  I’ve started using my bike again too.                                                                                                

I have to use the Double Whammy of walking and using my exercise bike to counteract all the hours I spend sitting in front of the computer hour after hour….day after day.  Now THIS is where I’m consistent!  And although my computer was a haven and a refuge for me at some very stressful times in my life, it is also what’s gotten me into such disastrous trouble.  I have NO guidelines when it comes to the computer….blogging…..BlogHer….e-mail…. computer games…..and everything surrounding the internet. I don’t know when to call it a day.  I go from one thing to the next to keep caught up.  By the time I’m done….it’s often into the wee hours of the morning, my ankles are swollen, and I fall into bed.  Hello?  What kind of exercise program is that?                                                                                                                    

Good news….my fingers are damn skinny.  

Moms in My Life....and On My Mind

Mother's Day is right around the corner....

My 91-year-old mother-in-law has always been, and still is, my shining example of motherhood.  At this point, I think she's everyone's example.  Strong of heart, soul, and mind...Nana is a constant wonder.  Up until the last few years Nana had more energy than any of us; and I can tell in conversations that she's frustrated with having to slow down.  She loves to play bridge on occasion, and probably remembers more than I do about it.  She still tries to use the computer...e-mail mostly, and enjoys keeping updated with everyone.  She has taught our family so many valuable lessons over the years...and continues to do so as the beautiful matriarch of our family.

My daughter, Julie, is the busy mother of two terrific kids....Bella and Bastian.  I've written about them numerous times, as many of you know.  Julie is also a Women's History professor at a college in downtown New York.  She is in the process of writing a second book and is working on several other projects.  Her husband, Chris, has his own insanely busy schedule as a patent lawyer for a law firm in New York.  To say her lifestyle is hectic would be an understatement.  Like many young couples today, Julie and Chris are trying to balance it all...trying to make it work.  There are days when Julie's not so sure she's doing such a good job 'balancing.'  I DISAGREE!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I think she and Chris are doing an AMAZING job.  I mean that.  I tell her all the time how proud I am of the job she's doing...and that I think she's a terrific mom.  I can see the sacrifices...who comes first....and what has to be done.  Sometimes hard decisions have to be made...but they are made...and those kids are always first and foremost.  Both she and Chris know what's important and never misplace their priorities.  These are busy, growing years.....fun years.....years you want to appreciate and enjoy.  I tell her that too; but thank God.....I think she already knows that.  She's a good mom.....a really good mom. And I wonder if she would ever believe that I am just as proud of the job she's doing as a mom as I am of the many credentials she has earned in her professional life....maybe even more so.

My sister-in-law, Mary, has been one of my best friends forever.  I knew as soon as my brother brought her through our front door some 40+ years ago that she was going to be someone special.  She hasn't changed at all over the years. Full of energy....funny, creative, loving, thoughtful, compassionate, patient, generous, caring, hard-working...40 years of all those same wonderful qualities. How lucky am I that my one and only brother chose such a beautiful person for his lifemate.  How lucky are we all?  I feel especially fortunate that my children have had Mary as their Aunt.  She's just always been there for them....like a second mom.  Mary's planning a wedding for this fall.  My niece, Heather, will be getting married...and we all will be going to Wisconsin for the big day.  With all the weddings Mary has happily attended...it will finally be her turn to be the proud mother of the bride.

It's almost two years ago since my mom passed away.  Her last Mother's Day was a sad one....languishing in a place that she hated and prayed she'd never-ever have to spend her final days in.  It was the saddest Mother's Day I can remember.  I hope all of our moms who are no longer with us are walking in fields of flowers, basking in beauty as far as the eye can see......knowing only love...pure joy.....and peace. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the lovely ladies out there.....

   

Short and Sweet....and just a little funny

                                                                                                                         

I dialed a number and got the following recording:                                                                                                                

"I am not available right now, but thank you for caring enough to call.

I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the Beep. If I do not return your call, you are one of the changes."

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Aspire to inspire before you expire.

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My wife and I had words, but I didn't get to use mine.

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Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.

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Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting.

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The irony of life is that, by the time you're old enough to know your way around, you're not going anywhere. 

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God made man before woman so as to give him time to think of an answer for her first question.

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I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

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Every morning is the dawn of a new error.

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