The Women's March January 21, 2017

This is my friend Maureen and here's what she wrote:


The chocolate chip cookie drop worked! I scored a Pussy Hat tonight from the collection site in Reston. They got over 60,000 hats, knitted by supporters all over the world! Mine was knitted by Erika from Madison, Wisconsin. Here I am with my dear friend Nancy, who already knitted several hats for the Marchers.

Maureen was hoping I would have a hat for here and I wish I did.  But I am confident that all of my hats were at the demonstrations in Washington, DC today!!

.

Protesters in solidarity, Perth, Western Australia

 

My knitting being worn in DC

I've been knitting

The Women's March on Washington D.C. is happening January 21, 2017! The Pussyhat Project launched Thanksgiving weekend! As of now, we have 4 days to knit, crochet, and sew 1.17 million pink pussyhats. Join the movement!
Please check out The PDF to get the whole picture of what we're about.  We'll be updating this website with more content SOON.

Reflecting on the New Year

1955

1971

1983

2008

2015 the tape is there because I just had my thyroid removed

2007

2012

1994

2016

I posted the most recent picture, from 2016, on Facebook as my "profile picture".  This is pretty much how I look when I am not too tired, have on a bit of make-up, and am smiling.

I wanted to load the pictures here in chronological order, but haven't yet mastered that skill.   Oh well, I did date them the best I could.

My favorite picture among these, of myself anyway, is the one from 1983.  Of course I was a lot younger and thinner.  That helps.  And something that bugs me, but nobody else probably cares about, is how much straighter my teeth were back then.

I want to get them back to that although some people would say "you're almost 63, what does it matter how you look?".    Well, I don't know that it matters in terms of global importance, but it matters to me.

I guess I am aging alright.   I don't know what I expected!  I kind of had a picture in my mind, once upon a time, of myself in my 60s with two long, gray braids.    Wearing overalls.   Being a country woman.   I imagined myself as one of Joni Mitchell's

"Ladies of the Canyon".      

She always makes you welcome in
Cats and babies 'round her feet
And all are fat and none are thin
None are thin and all are fat
She may bake some brownies today
Saying you are welcome back


I knew this song before  I was married and before I was a mother, but I had a romantic vision of myself with cats and babies.  I got to live that dream, didn't I?   And I can always go back and listen to the music.

What is it about the music of youth and dreams?  Here's another one that Nick and I both loved listening to:

"Teach Your Children"

You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye

Teach your children well
Their father's hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

And you (Can you hear?) of tender years (And do you care?)
Can't know the fears (And can you see?) that your elders grew by (We must be free)
And so, please help (To teach your children) them with your youth (What you believe in)
They seek the truth (Make a world) before they can die (That we can live in)

Teach your parents well
Their children's hell will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you will cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

 

New years eve eve

Tomorrow is new years eve and it's that time when people make resolutions and plans on how the new year will be better than the last year. 

Resolutions.  I try to be cool about it.  Not proclaim my "resolutions" publicly,  but that little, inner voice is telling me how much better I am going to be.

It's been a rough couple of years.  Brain tumor.  Brain surgery.  Huge thyroid.  Thyroidectomy.    Torn meniscus.  Knee surgery.  Old cat.  Dead cat.  And my latest, preparing for dental implants by having four teeth removed and a bone and skin graft.  Currently in pain but getting better.

So, what does 2017 hold?   Nobody really knows.  My goal, no more medical crap.  No more surgeries.  Get healthy.  Live healthy.  Be healthy.

Be happy.  Or at least try. 

I feel like the last 15 years have been hard.  Well, life is hard.  But beginning with my brother's death, my dad and mother and numerous friends and family dying.

Five kids, all grown up.  Feeling pretty good about these adults and how they have turned out so far.  But I miss feeling needed.   I tell myself that.  I guess I am nostalgic, but we are all where we should be.  And I felt so overwhelmed at times when I was really on call 24/7, when someone needed to nurse while someone else needed a scraped knee kissed and made better.

Parenting is something I always wanted.  I got it.  Regrets?  Yes.  I could have been more patient.  I could have smiled and laughed more and gotten mad less.    But, all in all, something must have gone right.

Starting a new year with Nick and the dog.  No kids on the house.    Yes, I miss them.  But I am happy for them too.

Thanks kids for making me a mother and forcing me to be a big kid at times, and a grown up at others!

Merry Christmas 2016

'Tis the Season

Fa la la la la...

So much to write about, so little time.  Nick and I are going to visit his mom and the rest of his family  shortly, so I don't have much time to write anything.

Just felt like sending some words out into the world to say "hey, I'm still alive"!

Holiday time again?

It's almost Christmas time and I have not written for almost two months (I think).  I meant to write in October after my trip to Michigan with my sister.

We have been talking forever about going to Michigan to see our mom's siblings who live there- and their kids- our cousins.  Well, we did it!  We flew in to Detroit and drove to Three Rivers- at least the Three Rivers area.  We stayed with our cousin, Jody and her husband and her parents (our aunt and uncle) at their farm.

We were just there for a few days, but it was a wonderful visit.  Made us wonder why we hadn't done this sooner, and feel like we need to stay longer next time!

The Farm

Next we drove to Redford (a suburb of Detroit) to see more cousins and our mom's younger sister, Aunt Geri and her husband, Uncle John.   We stayed with our cousin Geri Lynn.

One of the cool things is, Aunt Geri and Uncle John live on one side of the street, and their oldest child, Geri Lynn, has a house directly across the street from her parents.  And their youngest child, Geri Lynn's brother, lives right next door to Geri Lynn and across from their parents.  It is a sort of cozy family village

Family!  Aunt Geri standing.  Gery Lynn behind her.  Sitting are another cousin, Christine.  The me, then my sister, Carol

 

 

Since the visit to Michigan, the election was held and, unfortunately, Trump won.  I keep going from sad to scared to shocked to confused.

We celebrated Thanksgiving a few weeks ago and had a decent size group of family members, including my mother in law, Nick's mother, who turned 99 that week.

Yesterday we had our annual Christmas dinner party and Yankee gift exchange.  There were way fewer people that there usually are- only 10 people last night.  But it was great and I am sure everyone had fun.

I spent the day today recovering!

Okay, I have written my little piece.