The Boots!

When I first married Jack, I was well aware of our height discrepancies. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall and in shoes, probably a little more. At the time, I was five feet 8 inches if I stretched.

So, at 29 years old, I bought my first pair of spikey leather boots. I had never worn heels, and the first day I wore them, I learned all about real pain!

The heel was 4 – 6 inches high. At first, I did well. We drove from New Hampshire to JFK, where Jack was based. I did not have to stand or walk.

This was before 9/11. On this day in 1988, Jack and I walked from the crew parking area into the Pilot’s Lounge. The lounge was on the lower level, where the suitcases went out to the planes and then went back in.

After showing me the Pilot’s Lounge, he showed me the airport’s underfloor before returning to the gate for our flight. For those who have never seen this, it was fascinating. But done in high heels, it was a challenge.

He showed me some back stairs into the terminal and escorted me to the gate. Then, he went off to do some pilot work.

I walked down the ramp and onto the plane, sticking my head into the cockpit to say hello!

Well, we flew to Atlanta, coming in at Gate A20. Before we took off on the next leg, we walked to the other end of the airport to a restaurant Jack liked for lunch. Then, by golly, we walked back to the plane.

It was then that I became aware that my feet, both of them, were on fire! On the plane, I removed the boots and let the cool air soothe them.

This went on all day, with the new bride me not saying a word but struggling to make it through.

Late in the evening, we returned to JFK, and after Jack finished his pilot work, we walked back to the car. It was cold and icy, and I told Jack I needed to stop.

I leaned against a car and removed those boots. I could feel my nylons tear, but I did not care.

When we got home, I wore soft cotton socks and vowed never to wear high heels again, especially those darn boots!

The boots went to Amanda. I wonder if they worked for her?

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I Wish You Enough

I wish you enough…

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• I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
• I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
• I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
• I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
• I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
• I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
• I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.

Author Unknown

 

Keep Learning

When I was young, I would sit around my grandmother’s dining room table and talk and drink tea. One thing Grandma always said, was no matter what, always keep learning, and always know that you can accomplish whatever you set out to do.

On Friday the warnings of severe weather had me alert, but I freely admit to having no knowledge of furnaces, thermostats, or frozen pipes.

In the afternoon we were down to -10 outside and by bedtime, it was -20 with a stiff wind.

When the master bedroom temperature fell like a lead balloon, I tried everything I knew to get the heat on. By 6 PM, we had no heat in the Master Bedroom, and the temperature in that room was 52 degrees and one of our sink faucets would not respond.

On Saturday, I was panic-stricken. This would not go well. At 8 AM I attempted to call 14 different Plumbing and Heating businesses. I left messages and did not get one phone call back.

However, on call #15 a nice woman’s voice greeted me. I told her what was going on and she said hold on, and she put me on speakerphone.

Q: What is under your Master Bedroom?

A: A garage. (Design flaw)

Q: Is there any way to warm up the garage?

A: Yes, we have radiant heat in the garage floor.

Instructions: Go down and turn up the heat in the garage to 76 – 80 degrees. Then come up, and turn on the sink faucets in the master bath. Just a trickle mind you, but on. Set the bedroom thermostat to 76 degrees. Leave the door open from the bedroom, and the closets, and cabinets.

I went around the house doing as I was instructed. By dinner, I was too tired to even want to eat. I fell asleep. I woke to the sound of running water in the Master Bath. After that, I didn’t wake up until 12:30 AM when the dogs wanted to go out. So I took them, (It was only -8 F)

By Sunday, the pipes are all thawed. The temperature is currently 23 degrees F outside, and I have learned so many valuable things. Just call me Maribeth the Frozen Pipes Fixer!

Grandma was right. Keep learning, keep believing and there isn’t anything that can’t be accomplished!

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The Days Are Passing

Today has been a day full of thought. The skies remained gray and the air was warm. But after doing a quick grocery shopping, and coming home to make lunch, I found myself thinking back in time.

I remembered people I knew who I was very close to. People who helped teach me a lot about life. Life Lessons. Both are gone now, but the things we talked about, still remain in my mind.

Many years ago when I lost someone close to me, it was a terrible tragedy. They were too young to die! So much life left to live!  Now, with many of my friends being over 65, 70, or 80, when I think of those losses, it is the pain of losing their friendship. But they have had full lives and mostly I think they were ready for leaving this earth.

I’m sixty-two. I look at my life and think, I will see my 70s and 80s, but hopefully I will do this in good health.

I also look back and see all the life I have lived. Places I have gone, things I have done, and the moments, special moments I have shared.

I remember my pregnancy with Amanda. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy, as I nearly lost her early on in the pregnancy. But it was meant to be, and before I knew it, I was a mother.

1That was probably the happiest day of my life!

I was watching The Pioneer Woman’s daughter’s wedding this morning and I thought about my marriage to Jack.

I shopped and shopped for a nice, special, second wedding dress. Nothing in New England, so I went to Florida to visit my friend, Benn. I drove to The Miracle Mile in Fort Lauderdale and went to a Bridal Shop there.

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I found a beautiful cream-colored, lace tea-length dress there. It fit perfectly and needed no alterations. So It was packed up and I headed to Benn’s house where I proceeded to show him.

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He was quite nice about it, as I am sure that most men don’t get excited at the sight of a wedding dress. But Benn was kind and very brotherly to me. After all, in a few weeks, Benn would be the Best Man at our wedding.

I remember being so excited! And on the day of the wedding, I wore that lovely dress and felt like the prettiest of women.

 I remember being on an airplane with my first dackel, Shubi. I was the last to board and I raced to my seat and put Shubi, in her carrier under the seat in front of me. The man sitting next to me told me to put that bag in the overhead. I told him I couldn’t, as that was my dog. He then looked at me and said, “In my country, we eat dogs!”

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Yes, the memories flow, and the laughter and the tears. All my loves, all those times shared.  Gone in a second. I think this is what makes me wonder about the future, however long or short it may be.

I guess the best bet is to just enjoy each and every day and love those you are with.

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Things I have Learned

I think the biggest thing I have been doing the last seven months that I have been following The WW Green Plan, is to write down each meal (using their online App) and plan out what I am going to eat.

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Here I am at 10:15 on Saturday morning and I know what I will be eating the rest of the day.

A friend told me she couldn’t be so rigid with her eating. Her life would stop if she had to give up the things she loves.

I told her I don’t “Have” to, I “Want” to.

I’m sixty-one years old. I’ve been waiting for the “Skinny Fairy” to arrive. I’m guessing it isn’t going to happen in this lifetime.

What this means to me now, in order to avoid becoming a Type 2 Diabetic, or developing a heart problem, changing the way I eat, the very way I look at food needed to change!

And it has. Big time.

I’m a Carb-a-holic. This means there isn’t a loaf of bread, donut, cake, cookie, or breading that I do not crave and love. In fact, it’s funny, even when I am not eating bread, if I am making Jack a sandwich, I will hold the bread close and “inhale the scent” of it. Ahhhhhh!

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There are certain foods I know I cannot eat because they trigger me to start down that bumpy road.

Sugar is also one of those things on my addiction list. I have ended my love affair with the white stuff. It took about two weeks of going cold turkey before I got the need for sugar out of my system.

I’m learning to fully enjoy new things. Melon, berries, apples, garden salads, and this is a big surprise, Carrots. I’ve always liked carrots, but now I cut them up and add them to my salad. I love them!

I have given up pork and salty ham. Never a favorite, so it wasn’t hard to eliminate it from my eating plan. I love to eat fish (any kind) and I love poultry. And very occasionally I will enjoy some beef.

I know I need to use portion control, but I also need to use my head to pick and choose foods sensibly.

I’ve written a lot about my journey on WW because it helps to keep me honest with myself. I also hope that if anyone else is struggling with their weight, maybe they will see that there is a way to lose weight and still eat!

I admit that after the age of 60 it’s a little tougher to do, but not impossible.

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Homophones? Who Knew!

I have certain words that drive me insane! Mostly because although they sound the same, they do not necessarily mean the same things.

Take Yay, Yea, and Yeah.

You pronounce yay in the same way you pronounce yea, which makes these two words homophones—indistinguishable when spoken and easily confused when written. They have different meanings, though. While yea is the word we sometimes use for yesyay is the word we use to express joy, approval, or excitement.

The origins of yay are difficult to pin down—some sources say it came from yeah, others say it came from yea.

Yeah: in modern times is a less formal way to say yes. But good old YAY! Still is solely used to express happiness and joy!

There is also the problem of Their, There, and They’re.

Their: is the possessive case of the pronoun they, as in “They left their cell phones at home.”

There: is an adverb that means “in or at that place,” as in “She is there now.” In this sense, there is essentially the opposite of here. There is also used as a pronoun introducing a sentence or clause, as in “There is still hope.”

They’re: is a contraction of the words they and are, as in “They’re mastering the differences between these homophones!”

I do so love playing with the English language. I know I make so many mistakes, and when I look up to find answers, I hope I will retain what I learned.

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And an English Professor once told me I was an “over-explanation-pointer” when I write! Imagine that!!!

 

Losses & Gains

2019 will be a year I will not easily forget. This has been the year that I have had to learn how to cope with and let go of many people who were very dear to me in life. I guess that everyone reaches a certain age when they start losing their peers, and so it has been for me.

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There have been nine wonderful souls that departed my life this year. Several were very close to me and the pain I felt at their loss was very deep.

Now I am faced with yet another good friend being terminally ill. I know it will not be too long until she passes from this world to the next. She called me yesterday, out of the blue. I was cleaning my bathroom, but I stopped and talked to her. She told me she is now in Hospice Care. So, I know the time is close.

I’ve never handled death terribly well. I would cry and cry and go through periods of great depression after. But, somehow Candy taught me so much.

Since her passing, I have found a new relationship with God and when I feel unable to cope, I literally give it all to God. Ever been in a grocery store and heard someone say: “God, I can’t take it anymore so I’m taking all the problems and giving them to you!”

Yes, that was me. Whenever and wherever I am, I give it to God. It seems he is always around for me.

Psalm 119:114 – You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

I also find that by asking for his help, I am comforted.

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Jeremiah 33:3 – Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

It’s a place of deeper knowledge and comfort.

Cactus & Other Things

About two weeks ago now, I took three Christmas Cactus plants outside and repotted all three of them. I had hope for two of them, after all, being pot bound and all dried out is nothing for a cactus, right? So the two larger plants I repotted, carefully putting some stones in the bottom for proper drainage and I used a combination of Potting Soil and Moo-Poo (Yes it is exactly what it says it is, only composted with dirt and mulch) to re-pot.

The third plant was almost a total loss. In fact, I kind of decided that if it didn’t perk up in a few days I would simply chuck the plant and I would have learned that even cactus need tending. This poor thing was so dried up and pathetic.

Unlike many other cacti, Christmas cacti and their relatives don’t live in arid environments. (So thought I!) Their natural habitat is one of an epiphyte living in tree branches in the rain forests of Brazil! (Brazil?) In other words, they prefer a humid climate, not a dry one, so it’s important to water these cacti more regularly than most succulents. (Who knew?)

20151104_080607The oldest and largest of my Christmas Cactus, before I neglected it. I hope one day it will look like this again.

After doing all the re-potting, I started to bring them back into the house, and then I stopped. After all, it is warm outside and that is the southern side of the house. Perfect for revitalization. Especially since we have had rain almost every day.

After a few days, the first two plants began to perk up! Their color got better and they began to look stronger! I’ve been so excited!

The third plant has been more of a challenge. I watched and watched and two or three times I came close to tossing it in the compost heap. But then a few days ago I checked its base and it was green! Some of the stem segments (called cladodes) have fallen off, but the new ones seem to be growing.

cactusThe two healthy ones are at the top. The one who is still struggling is on the bottom.

Despite not know that a Christmas Cactus was not really a Cactus, it does seem that they can handle a lot of abuse.

Meanwhile, the birds continue to be happy in the yard and I am happily watching them. My favorite is the Downey Woodpecker.

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He is small and so adorable. Some of the other birds try to push him around, but he doesn’t let them.

Ah, nature in all it’s beauty!

Going On

As I sit here this morning, I know in my heart, that I need to go on. I think it is impossible to live life when you cling to sadness.

Yes it hurts, yes you are sad, and yes, you cry at all the sappy commercials on TV. However, there is a difference between passing through grief and getting stuck there.

I chose life.

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So, as I start Tuesday, I start it with a sense of great love for my family and friends, and thankfulness that I am here to share another day.

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Tomorrow we take Anneliese to the Canine Ophthalmologist. The only problem with this is we are due for another walloping snowstorm starting today and going overnight. The good Vet is 59 miles from our home, over some nasty mountainous roads, as we head to Portsmouth and the shoreline of New Hampshire. Jack has said he would drive and if we give ourselves two hours we should be fine, and by the time we come home, the roads will be much better.

I am hoping that Anneliese will simply need more medication. That would be the best case scenario. Next best would be a simple surgical debridement of the ulcer. And worst case, she could lose the eye.

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I am hopeful that Anneliese will heal beautifully and enjoy much better health in the future.

I broke out a historical biography to read last night. “Queen Victoria: Icon of an Era” by Michael Simmons. It’s quite interesting, as I knew almost nothing of her life before Prince Albert, very little about their marriage, save for this great love story, which isn’t exactly how it all started and then all of us know about her senior years as beautifully portrayed by Judi Dench in “Mrs. Brown” and “Victoria and Abdul”.

Inbetween reading this book, I was doing laundry and watching the Westminster Dog Show.

Oh yes, and cooking. I’ve been cooking up a storm, much to Jack’s great approval. Somehow chopping, sauteing and baking a meal brings me great joy.

So this, my friends, is how I am going on.

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