Time keeps on ticking

Hello! I have not been online too much because I have been enjoying the time with my family. I actually was able to get a nice picture of all of us together. Seated on the couch, from left to right is Mike, my son-in-law, Rick, husband, and A.J. my son. Standing from left to right is Mary Beth, me, Amber and then Katie. I should have checked the glare on the pictures, but it's alright. Amber is back in New Mexico, Beth and Mike will leave for North Carolina tomorrow morning and Katie will fly back to Chicago tomorrow afternoon. Empty nest again! I will head back to Wichita on Sunday. It was been a special treasure not to have to worry about deadlines, preparing for class, writing papers, or transcribing research for a while. Happy New Years' to you all.

Beau

I know I haven't been posting very much, but this is a difficult season for me. I walked out of the mall a few days ago and have not been shopping because this time of year stirs up too much pain of my mom's passing.

This morning,our faithful dog, Beau, passed away. He lived a rich full 12 years and was a faithful companion.

A family tradition

As I was putzing around in the kitchen, I heard the familiar whistling theme to "The Andy Griffith Show". Katie was watching it and I was reminded of how much my mother loved that show! She even bought several seasons on DVD and watched them over and over again. All in all, a good family tradition to pass on.

Starbucked Strangers

All holidays must come to an end and the real world of work and hurry quickly takes over. While traveling back to Wichita this morning, I decided to stop at Starbuck's in Midwest City, OK for an Americano (with steamed soy milk). The parking lot was surprisingly busy and I remembered my mantra to be nice no matter what, so I allowed a red truck to take my parking space and I went around. When the man from the red truck entered the store he was greeted with shouts of admiration, and a young lady said that she had thought of him when she was in Wichita last week. Wichita? Another man said he was from there and on his way back home and my mouth volunteered the information that I, too was on my way back to Wichita. The cashier asked if we knew each other and indeed, we had never met before. The nice man in the red truck actually lives one block from me! What a truly small world. We all laughed and talked and then went our separate ways. After a 100 miles or so, I actually read the words on the cup..."I talked to a stranger once over coffee...we're not strangers anymore!" Normally, I stay within my safe little world of one and rarely talk to people I don't know. Perhaps this holiday season, one of the life lessons on which I need to focus is to become more friendly to strangers.

Black Friday

Amber is on her way to New Mexico in her shining new car leaving us with hearts full of love and pride for what a wonderful young lady she has become.It's her first big road trip alone and we are a little worried, but I know she will be safe. As she was leaving, I kept trying to offer her "one more cup of coffee" and was reminded that I am only emulating what my Nana used to do when we were ready to leave her after vacation. Years of guilt have haunted me because I moved away from my New York home when I was 19-years old, and with the exception of a few visits, really never went back. I thought I had abandoned my mother and started a cycle of kids growing up and leaving their parents far behind. In reality, it was Nana who embedded wanderlust in my soul. She married for the 5th and final time, James Forrest Plank, in the mid-1970's and left Rochester to the unheard of hinterlands of York, Pennsylvania. That represented a 6 hour drive to see my grandmother with whom I was so close. While the transfer of residence did afford us the opportunity of wonderful summer vacations in the picturesque mountains of Pennsylvania, it was so difficult to leave her after spending such great times together. She was the core of our little family unit. We had so many traditions and memories in which she was the focal point.

After she passed away, that sense of family togetherness also seemed to pass in my heart. Oh sure, doubts and questions nag as to whether I tried hard enough to maintain ties with my mom, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins. After all, it was I who moved so far away both geographically and emotionally.

With my mother's passing less than a year ago now, I have fallen into a black trench of "what could have been's" and "what should have's". Through the last few decades, I have attempted to create traditions and memories for my own three little chicklets, but it doesn't feel the same. Only two children were home for Thanksgiving and the other two didn't even call. Time is a great reminder of what we have and the lesson of holding dear to the here and now. In a minute, it is all gone and hopefully, if you are lucky, those precious memories and traditions will live on in the minds of those you have touched. So have that second cup of coffee;take time to enjoy each other and always be mindful of thanks.

Hope you are all well.

Peace, Love, and Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! I have so much to be Thankful for this year. I earned my doctorate, obtained a job at a university, found a great apartment in a wonderful city....but a far more important event occurred over this past year. My mother passed away from this life and while that has been a most difficult experience, I have taken from tragedy the lesson to daily be thankful for the abundant blessings that surround me. I am thankful for my beautiful children, my husband, my fantastic in-laws and all of my friends. (and my darling kitties!). Hope you are all well and in peace.

Thanks full

Time goes by quickly enough, but in blog-land, it's even worse! Since I last posted, Amber has found a brand new car. It's a Mercury Milan so she will be driving to her new duty station on the Friday after Thanksgiving. (Beware anyone driving between Oklahoma and New Mexico ;p)

I am back in Oklahoma for the holiday week, but I miss my kitties. Luckily, I have the cutest grand-kittens in the world to keep my company. Projects for the week include writing a grant for a new research project I am considering. Sometimes it is so difficult to know where to start. Never having written a grant proposal for actual money, is a chore! My plans are to have it completed by the weekend by I am going to have to search for the Muse of grant writing to help me out.

Hope you are all well.

November, what?

Where has the month of November gone? Nana always warned me that time goes by so quickly when you are older and she was not exaggerating! Much has happened since I last posted. Amber came home from Japan on November 5th! She has been stationed at Misawa A.F.B. for the past 2 years and she is home for a little holiday before reporting to her new duty station in New Mexico.

I drove home to OKC to pick her up from the airport last weekend, and then this weekend, Rick and her came here to Wichita. A mandatory visit to the zoo was in order! Cold rain and bitter winds did not dampen our spirits! Some of the animals were off exhibit for the winter, but there is so much to see that we had a great time. As always, the Jungle is my favorite place to visit, made all the more exciting as we entered just in time for feeding. Evidently, macaws like to bully fruit bats and they were flying energetically above our heads. Amber also got to see the one month old baby lion that is still in his nursery, but there is a remote camera coverage of him and mommy. The lion she is sitting in front of in the pic is about two years old.

Next weekend, I will go down to Oklahoma and prepare for the Thanksgiving break. Inconceivable! Amber will be leaving soon after Thanksgiving to drive out to her new base, hopefully, in her new car.

I hope you are all well, love,

mommy

Thunder and Mac n' Cheese

Yet again, I had a wonderful weekend with my sweetie! Rick came up Friday night and I made a yummy eggplant Parmesan. Saturday, we putzed around in the morning and then went to dinner at the River City Brewery. I had the best macaroni and cheese that I have ever had in a restaurant. In order to walk off our gluttony, we ambled through Old Town to the Intrust Arena to watch the Wichita Thunder play hockey. It was the WSU jersey auction night and I sure wanted one! They were pretty. As hockey games go, this one was not memorable, but what was amazing happened at the auction tables. They had table set up with papers listing the players names and jersey size and then you could bid an amount for the auction. Five minutes prior to the close of the auction, Rick and I went down to the tables and the one I bid on was out bid. Three minutes to go before the close of the auction and Rick walks up to the table to write my name on the paper. He wrote SLOOOOOWLY! It took him a full three minutes to write my name and phone number! In the mean time, a guy came up behind him and said, "Alright buddy, you're done. Move it along!" He wanted to bid on the jersey too, and thought he could bully Rick away from the table and I thought, "Oh boy! here we go. Rick is going to cuss and yell." Instead, he politely said, "I am having trouble writing all the phone number." I was so proud of him! He was rewarded for his patience and calm and won the jersey! We paid the lowest price of any shirt there because of Rick's patience.

Today we went riding at Miller's Meadows, a mountain bike trail following a glorious breakfast buffet that included a nice prime rib for Rick! All in all, a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Thank you, honey.

Romance on a Birthday!

As I woke up this morning, the first thought I had was, "I need to call Mom because it's my birthday!" She always remembered my birthday but this is the first year she is gone and then the memory of her absence hurt so deeply. I wasn't prepared to miss her so much today.

Yesterday, my department head asked me to come to work today at noon for a meeting about this huge re-write we are doing on assessment protocols. Yeah... nothing could be more fun than that for a birthday gift, right? Well, maybe dental work would be equal, but at least they would give you drugs!

So at noon, she came to my door and said we had to go to the main office first. Okay...sure...whatever...But when I opened the door to the office, a whole gang of people were there singing "Happy Birthday" to me! There was a gorgeous cake and Linda told me there wasn't any meeting, instead it was a ruse set up by my husband...MY HUSBAND! He even ordered a dark chocolate birthday cake to be delivered to the school and e-mailed every one with the plans for the event! My husband??? This is quite an unexpected romantic and sweet gesture for him, but I won't question. Just enjoyed the cake! I didn't even wait to take a picture of the cake so I took a picture of the card Gail sent to me instead. I hope you all had a lovely day!

A basket of Birthday's

Today marks the birthday of two wonderful women! First my favorite mother-in-law, Gail Sayman, and Second, by best friend Dr. Donna Maynard! Happy Birthday to you both!!!
Here's wishing that you receive every blessing and happiness today and always.

Dreaming of Baby

I thought I would post more pictures of the gorgeous drive we took this weekend. I forgot to add that neither Rick nor I brought our computers with us. There were also many hours along the trail when we had no service for our cellphones, so it was truly a serene get away.

I figured out something. For several weeks now, I have been dreaming that I am preggers. Not to worry, as Mother Nature has assured my child bearing years are quite finished, but I did realize why I am having those dreams. Lately, I have been feeling far apart from my children. Of course, it doesn't help that they all live in different states than I do! But I think I my dreams of pregnancy are evoked because I want my kids...well, to be kids again. I think I am nostalgic for that very brief part of my life when my children were little and depended on their mommy.

So let this harbinger be a lesson... kiss your children while they are near, and kids...call your mom!

Hope you are all well, and know you are loved.

The Muse of Arkansas

Mythology tells us that when we are in need of direction we can receive inspiration from a Muse. I was so in need of relaxation and focus, so this weekend, Rick and I decided to drive down the Talimena Scenic Highway that snakes through the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma and into central Arkansas. Sure enough, I found my muse. It's actually a little town in Arkansas called Muse and there are more cows than people, but the serenity and the awe-inspiring beauty of wilderness enveloped me with solace I was seeking. After a day of random wandering through the Ouachita National Forest, we settled in Mt. Ida, Arkansas for the evening. I did not realize that Mt. Ida is the Quartz Crystal capital for the world due to it's abundance in the area. You can even mine it yourself, but we were not inclined for any type of labor!

A.J. and his girlfriend had gone to Altus, Arkansas yesterday to a little winery for lunch and a day out. On our way back home, we drove north through Arkansas and stopped at the same place. Wiederkehr Winery, I soon discovered, had the best Niagara wine I have ever tasted. They also have a wonderful Bavarian restaurant in their little village that specializes in authentic fare.

We are back home, but rested and relaxed after a wonderful weekend wandering with my muse.

Meet your Maker

One of Keiko's favorite places to sleep is right beside the statue of Bastet! It has been another difficult week. I do not think I will truly relax until I earn tenure. I found out that one of my papers was not accepted for a major special education conference, but another paper was accepted for a conference on men's studies. Closed doors and open window type scenario? Since I teach special education, I am thinking it would be a good deal to present at a special ed conference!

It should be a relaxing weekend here in the big city. I am not going to Oklahoma, but Rick is coming up here. I thought the local hockey team was playing in town tonight, but I didn't read the schedule correctly and they are actually in Tulsa. We'll get to a hockey game soon enough. There is a team here (Wichita Thunder) that plays for the Central Hockey League and now Oklahoma City has the new farm team for the Edmonton Oilers, The OKC Barons. Should be some pretty good games to choose from this winter.

Hope you are all well

Goofus and Lilacs

After a very stressful week, I decided on Friday afternoon to go home! It was not expected, but I just missed my home and my honey so I packed up everything, filled the cats food and water and headed south to Oklahoma. Rick was surprised to find me home when he returned from his Friday night foosball thing!

We had a wonderful time! It was just what I needed. Lots of relaxing, eating, and generally, being slothful. I even managed to get a little bit of work done on a paper I am presenting at the end of October.

We had dinner with A.J. last night and then went to his apartment to check on my grand-kittens. While I was there, Maynard jumped on the exercise bike and assumed his regular pose! He is actually comfortable sitting like this. What a goofy cat!

Then when we got home, I noticed that one of the new lilac trees that I planted in April was in bloom! i have never seen a lilac blossom in the Fall! I know Rick has been watering them and I think he put horse steroids in the roots, because they are beautiful. I planted two new trees and the older one that has been there for a decade were all in bloom. What a great gift!

Hope you are all well,

mommy

Just a drop of water in an endless sea

I know the picture isn't the best, but this if from the concert, Kansas with the Wichita State University Symphony! It was so amazing! The acoustics in the arena were fabulous and the band playing with a full orchestra is a glorious experience.

-The picture on the far left is Rick on the Riverwalk in downtown Wichita. Last time I was on the trail it was such a lovely experience. Yesterday, while the day was sunny and cool under almost every bridge along the way were gangs of homeless people who had set up camps.

Of course, Wichita, like any other big city, has a homeless population, but to see makeshifts camps of poor, destitute, people in such large numbers was disconcerting and heartbreaking.

Gail, I think you said in the the last comment about appreciating the little things in life and that is so true. However, I also appreciate the big things. I ponder if both Rick and I lost our jobs, how soon it would be before we were on the streets. And the answer I come up with is...Never. We have terrific children who would take us in and parents who would help. We are very, very fortunate and I am ever so appreciative of the family and love that surrounds us.

A silver lining....

...or a blue neon shock of wheat! This is a picture of the Frank Lloyd Wright building at night. After a frustrating week, and a depressing day, I went to my office to calm down and think things though. It was daylight when I went into the building, but when I stepped out of the door, I was greeted with this gorgeous image. I work in ART! I don't know if it's the ambiance of having an office designed by an architectural genius, or just the change of scene from my apartment, but I am in a much more calm mood this evening than when the day began.

It's been a week of 'can't do a darned thing right'. You know what I mean? Hopefully it was the storm before the calm. My sweetie is coming up to Wichita this weekend. I have tickets to see the band Kansas perform with the Wichita State University Symphony tomorrow night. Along with that, wonderful friend is in a play "Dancing at Lughnasa" that is on tap for Sunday night and I have miles of bike trails that have yet to be explored. I also found a few new restaurants to sample. I hope you are all well and at peace, where ever life may lead.

Across the Universe

"Imagine all the people living life in peace..." I feels like a Beetles day indeed. With all of the various controversies surrounding 9/11- burn sacred books, build a house of worship, praise whatever deity chosen, above all; hope for peace, dream for peace, live for peace.

-Heavy on my heart, is my dearest friend and soul sister, Donna. I hope that you are finding some serenity and comfort during this somber time. She lost both of her parents within a week of each other. I am familiar with this pain that does not ebb with time and I send you best wishes.

-On a different note, the pic to the left is the new cat tree that I put in the dining room. You have a good view of the cat condo that is in front of the entertainment center, but what the view does not afford is the sliding glass door that leads out to the balcony. On that balcony are hung several well-attended bird feeders! I suppose the apartment is designed for the comfort of the felines!

-All is well here in the Land of Oz. We had a line of thunderstorms roll through last night that brought cooler temps for the week. It is beginning to feel like fall! Tomorrow, I am going on a bike ride along the Arkansas River with my new friend, Katie. (She also has 3 cats!). I am busy writing and preparing manuscripts for publication. I have a conference in Ok City in 2 weeks and the paper for that is finished. The end of October will bring another conference in Denver, but only half of that paper written.

-Hope all is well where ever this day brings you. Much love to all.

Great Sunday

Rick came up to Wichita last night and we spent the day together. We began with a terrific breakfast at Jimmy's Eggs. I had sweet potato pancakes. It tasted just like pumpkin pie! Then we took the bikes out to the zoo and rode around the park bike paths and did a little geocaching. As Rick was looking around for a cache outside of the picnic area, I heard a bagpiper playing "Highland Cathedral". It's one of my favorite songs, so I thought maybe one of the families in the area was playing a radio loudly. I started riding along the path a saw a man with a snow white beard practicing the bagpipes by the creek. It was a surreal, amazing experience. We rode about 12 miles until it started to get hot. After a shower and clean clothes, my sweetie took me to Olive Garden. He had to leave at 7:00 P.M. in order to get home and get to work tomorrow, but it was so nice to see him, even if the time was so short. Not living together makes you much more appreciative of the time you are able to capture.

Busy days... but reflection is due

For those of you who do not read my facebook wall, I have been posting a picture a day of my oldest daughter, Mary Elizabeth, in honor of her 30th birthday. Today's picture was a look back at a very dark, but very hopeful time in our lives. I will re-post it here.

When Mary Beth was 11 years old, she caught a staff infection which developed into pneumonia. Her lungs collapsed and she was in the hospital for a month. I thought I was going to lose her. One night when she was at her worst, I was keeping vigil in her hospital room, watching her sleep and wondering if she was going to make it. All of the sudden, she said, "Thank you!" I asked her who she was talking to and she said, "That pretty blonde nurse. She said I was going to be alright. Then she smiled at me and left. Didn't you see her? She walked right by you". There had been no one in the room. We are convinced she saw an angel because the next day she started to get better. her health improved rapidly and she was able to go home by the end of the week. This picture is taken after she left the hospital. I bought her the black cat so she would have her "Leslie" in the hospital with her.

I have shared this story so we can all remember that no matter how busy we are, take time to look for angels.

A wee bit better!

Just a little bit of an improvement in the office today! All the books are on the shelves, all articles are put away, and the coffee pot is set up with a fresh can of "Chock full o'nuts" coffee close at hand. Just the necessities! Classes begin next week and there are many more in-service meetings that I must attend until then. This still feels like a dream! I can not believe that at 50 years of age, I have achieved one of the highest occupational goals I ever had but never thought would happen. Just goes to show that anything can happen.

Hope you are are well.

Tangents and musings

I know that readers of this blog would think I forgot my daughter's birthday yesterday because I neglected to post anything here! However, I have been posting a pic a day in her honor for the month of August on my facebook site. It is linked to the blog, but I am not sure how well it works. The facebook apps works great on my phone and it is so easy to manipulate. The blog...not so much. therefore, it tends to get neglected.

Happy Birthday, Mary Beth!!! It seems like just so little bit ago when I held you in my arms and marveled at the brand new life I brought into this world. I far too often allow myself to dip into a pool of regrets and should-haves. But I think it is important to recognize that if I did anything differently, then my three strong, independent, beautiful children might have turned out contradistinct to what they were meant to be. I do believe that everything happens for a reason.

And Happy Birthday yesterday to my sister-in-law, Teri!

I did remember David on the 5th.

We have had a busy weekend. Rick just left Wichita to go back to the Shawnee home. He came up here to help move the cats, who are settling in contentedly, and to re-arrange my office at the university. This picture is the way it looked when I walked in on Saturday...and this is after the majority of it was cleaned out!!! What a mess. But after three hours of moving, cleaning, and unpacking, it is starting to take shape. Thank you, Rick. I could never have done all this work by myself! I will post new pictures tomorrow after I have all the books on the shelves.

Hope you are all safe...

Gonna make a pie....

One of my favorite movies of all time is, "Waitress". If you have never seen it, go buy a copy. The main character is a waitress at a pie diner and her mother used to sing her a song, "Baby don't you cry, baby don't be blue, gonna make a pie, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle..." It's such a sweet a little song and I can not get it out of my head. Today, A.J. and his band left for Portland, Oregon in order to meet with a record company and cut their album. They have an opportunity to be selected to go on tour also. This is their big break and I am so proud of him for being brave and setting off on this new adventure!

The picture is the naked ladies that are growing by the side of the house. I didn't plant them; they just appeared one day. They acquired their name because they have no leaves or other adornment on their stalks, just lovely pink blossoms. Hope you are well and safe on what ever adventures life brings your way.

Settled in - Part 1

With the last candle in place, the apartment is all settled! I just received the keys to my office this afternoon, so settling in -part II will begin next week. I did get the office I wanted and it is huge and beautiful! Two walls are solid windows...and the view is magnificent! Just have a ton of books to mive up and then unpack.

I attended a workshop today and was able to meet many wonderful people. I consider myself so blessed to have this new teaching position.

If you pet her wrong, she'll scratch your face

Yes, she is adorable. Yes, she is cuddly. Yes, if she is not in the mood, she will scratch your face! This is Katie's little girl, Pip. I am sure I have posted her pic before, but I was feeling grouchy and her image flashed in my mind. It's so hot and humid here in the mid-west. If this were May, I would call it tornado weather. As it is, I think we are going to get precipitation from a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico soon.

Not too much going on here. This morning I realized that by this time next week, I will be all settled into my new apartment in Wichita. It's pretty much all ready to go with the exception of no cable and no Internet. I know, I know, it's quite spartan of me to assume I will be happy just writing conference papers and articles and reading education texts. Hmmmm...could it be that simple? Life without a television? I think I am brave enough to try. Even though I will be living alone for the most part, I do not anticipate loneliness. I am a little apprehensive about setting up a new office and preparing for classes. I think I will fall into a routine soon.

In some ways, this has been a melancholy transition. Sorting through items to keep here in this home, and deciding what I can not live without in my new home has unveiled more than trinkets and clothing. I came across a music box with the image of an orange kitty with bright green eyes on the cover. It is small and could barely fit a pair of earrings. When you open the lid, it plays "Memories" and tucked inside is a scrap of paper that read 9-25-87. I can't discern if it my mother's handwriting or my Nana's. Mom had much of Nana's things when she moved in with her and several times I have caught myself reaching for the phone to call mom and ask her who is the owner of this music box and where did it come from? But the fact is, I don't know, and I will never know. So many unanswered questions. Ah well.... hope you are all well

Crow and cat

I saw this on National Geographic TV and couldn't believe it! The woman in the video passed away a few years ago, but the man still owns Cassie. She is now 12 years old. Moses hasn't come around for a long time.

Soaking July

July has begun with constant rain and the showers are still continuing. We cut short last weekend's Wichita stay because most 4th of July events were cancelled and it has rained all week long. Quite depressing!

The first pic is all of the boxes for my office. They are mostly books. You can see how helpful all of the kitties are at packing! The second pic is my bed in the new apartment. I decided to go with an old-fashioned, country look. No pictures on the walls yet, but that will come.

I think Rick and I will have a quiet weekend here at the Ponderosa. Maybe finish up the floor in the dining room. I am teaching a class in Tulsa this month and while it is exciting and the students are wonderful, it is a long way to drive and a mountain of preparation.

I hope you are all well,

mommy

Surrounded by Frank!

Rick and I spent the weekend in Wichita. First, we visited my new apartment! It is wonderful, small, cozy and completely charming. I feel like a princess planning and decorating it. We picked out the bedroom suite and it will be delivered on Saturday. Rick suggested a lovely dark pecan wood bookcase bed. I have always had a bookcase bed and he thought this would be a good way to have something familiar in the new residence. I also purchased a lingerie chest. It has 5 cedar lined drawers. I have never had anything so elegant and lovely!

We visited my new office at the university. The Corbin Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was the last building that he ever designed. In fact, he did not live to see it completed. It is so magnificent! Two walls of my office are entirely glass windows. There is an island in the middle of the two building complex and in the water were a mommy, daddy, and four baby ducks.

We then found the Baum House which is pictured above. It was designed by F.L also. The picture do not do it justice. It was grand. I am going to love living in Wichita...just wish it wasn't so hot as we were going to play golf but the temps were in the 100's.

Hope you are all well.

Cats like obedient people....

And Keiko told me to post this clip!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!

To all the wonderful Father's in my life, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Not too much going on in my life, just getting more and more excited for the upcoming move to Wichita. We are going to look at the apartment next week, and hopefully be in by July 1st. That way I have a slow, easy month to get the home stead in order before I report to work and get ready for classes. OSU should be approving my research proposal so i will begin interviewing for a new project that I am working on. Transcribing interviews and writing presentations will keep me busy for the Fall! My first conference is in OKC at the end of September, so I will need to get that ready.

Meanwhile, it is HOT!!!! Summer descended with a vengeance in the Midwest. The heat indices are well into the triple digits making it difficult for me to get out on the bike. Unless I get up at o'dark thirty to ride, that is! Ah, I should make the commitment and drop a little weight. Then I will have more clothes that fit for my new job.

Hope you all are well, and Happy Father's Day!

The Golden Girls - Blanche's First Kiss

And then there was one....

Rest in Peace, Rue

Chicago Style

Just returned home from beautiful Chicago! Katie moved from her previous apartment to a new one closer to the President's house in Hyde Park. The first picture is taken from the balcony of the new apartment and shows part of the blockades on the street. Her new place is two blocks from the Obama's and since he was in town this weekend, security was tight. We had to show the lease and our I.D.'s to the police in order to get her moved in! The great thing is that at least her new place is much more secure and safe than the old one. Nothing like secret service on the block to make one sleep comfy at night!

The middle pic is the girls at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Katie is in the center, with Sara on the left, and Hayley on the right. The day we went to the zoo was perfect weather and I had a blast. The last pic is the skyline as we were leaving the zoo.

All of Katie's new roomies are her friends from the Math and Science academy. Hayley has been her roommate for the last year in the old apartment. I imagine they will stay in their new place until they all leave Chicago. I wish I had been a little less busy to take pictures of the new place. It is gorgeous. Just another excuse to go back up there! Now I need to let my knee heal from climbing up 3 flights of stairs with heavy boxes. Just like at OSSM, she is on the 3rd floor again!

A lovely bouquet of rocks

I went for a bike ride this evening. It was hot and humid so the turn around point for me is cemetery. It's not a very large one, set a top a hill in the farmland. There was much activity there tonight as loved ones readied their departed's graves with bouquets and wreaths in remembrance of Memorial Day. I vividly recalled when Beth and I drove through the famed Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. It was a massive area and we quickly found ourselves lost among the graves and tombs. We drove around and discovered a section of the graveyard that obviously belonged to those of the Jewish faith. There were no flowers at all, rather all of the graves looked as if an angry mob had driven through and pelted a shower of rocks on the tombstones. At first, I was appalled, were we witness to some horrid form of racism? And then we noticed that the scattering of rocks was not haphazard, but deliberate and lovingly planned arrangements.

When we found our way out through the massive wrought iron gates we stopped and asked the security guards what the rocks meant. He explained that in the Jewish faith, they did not believe in leaving flowers on a grave because flowers die, but rocks are an everlasting symbol of remembrance. It left me speechless. Could it be possible that some of those stones were laid on the graves decades and decades ago? Were they freshly placed by a descendant? There was no way to tell.

Our lives are quite momentary. It is hoped that we will leave behind those who will cherish our memories and our love. How quickly will we be forgotten and how many flowers will be left on our grave? How do I want to be remembered? Oh...that's easy! Remember me with a bouquet of lilacs. Remember me with a handful of rocks. Remember me when you scoop Kitty litter or when you are on a long bike ride. Remember me when you see a chocolate Easter bunny or a newborn kitten. Most important....remember.

What a ride!

This has been quite an emotional year and the momentum keeps going. I resigned my teaching position at Tecumseh High School on Friday. I am about 90% sure that the university position is solid, but I decided to take the plunge and hope for the best. It's a little scary to be 50 years old and changing jobs. But I figured that it was time for a change.

The first pic is Rick at the Segdgwick Park Zoo in Wichita in front of the lion exhibit. That is just a piece of plexi-glass that separates them. It was awesome to get so close. This is a fantastic little zoo!

The next picture is what not to do during a tornado alert...stand outside taking pictures! This cloud did not turn into a twister, but all the sky was angry and twirling and very beautiful. However, going down into the storm shelter twice in two weeks is nerve-wracking for both me and the cats.

Donna, I tried the facebook link on this page and it takes me to the facebook site. But I tried it on my phone and it didn't. I'll try to be more prompt in my blog postings for you!

I hope you are all well.

I don't think we are in Kansas....

...but I am sure I saw Dorothy and Toto fly past the windows! I have tried to link my facebook to this blog because I am able to access it more frequently. I also posted a news link about Monday's tornado outburst.
http://www.kfor.com/lifestyle/kfor-severe-weather-may-10-2010-photogallery,0,1828422.photogallery



A.J. saw the funnel cloud attempt to form over the mall through the skylights. Fortunately, the tornado didn't make it all the way down to the ground over the mall. We were in the tornado shelter with two of the three cats. LeeLoo hid under the bed and I couldn't persuade her to come out. So I wished her good luck and went down to the shelter. We saw on the radar from out iPhones in the shelter the storm split in two and sandwich us. We had no damage at all. The weather man is calling for more storms this evening. Ah...Oklahoma!

I hope you are all well.

New York in May

New York in May...so of course, it snowed!!! As most of you know, I went up North to have my mother's burial ceremony. Since she passed away on New Years' Eve the cemetery was closed for the winter. I was so wonderful to see all of my family. Some of whom, AJ and Katie had never even met before. I realized that I just didn't get back home very often.

It was a lovely service and the plot is located at a beautiful spot. We missed the Lilac Festival by one week, but I am determined to go back home more often and keep closer ties with my family. Following the service, we all went to a fabulous Irish Pub in Fairport, right on the canal. Great Car bombs! thank you so much, Dad, Gail, and Tom for making the trip. That meant more to me than I can possibly say.

Also...I know I don't post very often on this blog, but I am on Facebook far more frequently. The lilac sprig is one I plucked from mom's grove at the house.