YES, it takes a village

and the "village" will gather up tomorrow to see what the oncologist has to say to the family. Dad- we'll have mom there with us in spirit to give us strength & direction. If God has a plan ... surely she knows what that is.

3 is NOT the charm at all!

As the saying goes ....

3's the charm. But more often it is NOT such a charm. The supestition that bad things come in 3's may be more a likly case. Miss Godiva took her swim to the big blue pool in the sky yesterday. She so loved to swim in her parents' pool.

As she aged, her love to fetch would totally exhaust her and flare up her arthritis to the point where she would literally not be able to walk the following day- and yet .... she would do it again if she got the chance. She had the gentle-est disposition, and would squeeze her way in between your legs to treat it like a hug! She was the ultimate in diet chocolate ... sweet & no cal. One of her mommys told me yesterday that the reason she "left" on a rainy day was so her pool would be full of fresh water!! Good bye you adorable pup ... & look for your granny & keep her company.

and the OSCAR goes to ....

the policemen, the firemen, the soldiers ................ that's who the REAL honors should be going to.

The Captain had a great point- the oscars are going to people who are pretending to be something they're not.

Let's give more credit where it is due. To those who are doing things far more honorable and far less self-serving!!

Thank God for those who think of others' first!

too little, too late, too bad

When I'm deeply impacted by something, my emotions turn inward. I appear numbed down, but it's only my defense mechanism to allow me to process stuff before the flood gates open. I pull away, appearing to distance myself and I get a little quiet .... but trust me- I'm in the moment. WAY in the moment. I don't know if I've always handled things this way- I don't even know how I came about doing so. I just know it is what it is. At least for now. My father, being gravely ill at this time ... has brought these feelings to the surface .... all too soon. To my own surprise, I still feel raw at times after losing my mother-in-law nearly 5 years ago & my mom just over a year. I'm not ready for this. As with BOTH the above, I was not prepared (no one was). And yet- it is happening. He's not my biological father ... but he is, in all ways, my dad. From my previous posts over time ... it's pretty obvious that it's my belief that "a sperm donor does not a father make". As I told him a few days ago (and in a letter that he keeps in a page protector with my mom's picture) He is the best thing that ever happened to mom & vise versa! These next few days may determine if they will be meeting up again sooner than anticipated.

take your "golden years" and shove 'em

Yesterday- I headed east from my beach house to arrive in my ole hometown. USUALLY- this is in response to a holiday or birthday gathering with family. USUALLY- the Captain and I team up for these sojourns ... initiating a gabfest of sorts. USUALLY- it's a day trip. USUALLY- I'm excited about arriving. THIS was not "the usual". For whatever "devine" reason (?) my father has been diagnosed with leukemia. The disease itself is serious enough... the fact that he has a rare strain that has yet to be determined, that he is nearly 88 years old, that barely over a year ago he lost his beloved wife of nearly 50 years and has yet to come close to recovering from that, that he's already on enough medication to choke an elephant ... that, that, that .... impacts EVERYTHING that much more. I find it uncomicly ironic that someone who gave new life to SOOOO many people through SIGNIFICANT blood & platelet donations, is now doing battle against his own blood. I SO prefer my irony served well done with a large side of humor. BUT - since I, nor medical science have yet to find a way for life to be fair (or even make sense sometimes)- it is what it is and I am here, for now, to face it. I'm not sure that dad has the faculties or strength to face up to what has suddenly become his reality, and that is why we are coming together. To help him understand & make decisions when needed. MOST of all- to spend time with him while he can still (mostly) reminsce about happier, carefree, times together. AND, I might add ... that at times like this- sissy hugs are better than drugs!

making choices

During the next few days ... my dad- with much to process from today's oncology appt, council from family- that includes my RN sister whom he lives with, and probably a conversation or two with higher sources (my mom who passed nearly 16 mos ago & you-know-who) ... my dad will be making some choices. This comes at a time when his anxiety & confusion issues are already at high pitch, so getting through to him could be difficult.
I love this man. He came into my life when I was 11 years old& I remember no father before him. Early on, I'm sure I tested him a time or two .... since I had only TV dads to compare him to. He has never treated me as if I was a "step". I find that amazing in itself! He's the best thing that ever happened to my mom & the reason I have 3 younger sisters in the inner circle of my life. I hope to be some of the strength he will need over the next few weeks, & support whatever his choices may be. I love ya Pa!

things that make me go hmmmm ....

timeshares ..... once considered "quite the deal" ... but with many people unable to keep up their payments or maintenance fees ... said fees are elevating for those WHO DO pay them. This being the case, the fees are edging upwards enough that they can be more expensive than if one was to rent the same place privately (particularly with an internet special). Most recently, we exchanged a 2 bedroom Hawaii unit for a studio unit in Sedona. Not a big deal, it was all we really needed anyway. Low & behold ... we had to PAY for the internet connection. Not a huge issue in the overall scheme of things because it WAS in a beautiful, scenic area. AT LEAST it didn't seem like an issue until we stayed in 2 subsequent Best Western Motels that #1 included high speed wireless internet at n/c, #2 a full hot breakfast, & #3 they were actually larger overall than the studio space!!! GO FIGURE. Just something that makes me go hmmmm.
healthy food ... it's a no-brainer. We ALL know what is healthier to eat. Medical doctors urge patients to lose weight. Agencies that rate health providers, require them to counsel people to eat properly as part of their rating criteria. Law makers decided that even fast food needs to have nutritional values listed. ALL THIS and more. And yet- the healthier foods are far more expensive & inconvenient. WHY IS IT that "something" that could save insurance companies tens of thousands of dollars every year (not to mention MAKE people healthier) .... doesn't hold enough clout to lower the costs to the consumer? WHY are we still super-sizing??? makes me go hmmmm.
fuel efficiency & automakers ..... since there are WAY more gas guzzling vehicles on the road than actually necessary, and the US is WAY too dependant on foreign oil - WHY are we still manufacturing them??? WHY do we need "powerful" trucks, & cars that go WAY faster than the speed limits allow? WHY do we not have ANYONE smart enough to invent a more efficient motor home or family size vehicle? DO WE NOT have a Steve Jobs for autos??? It just makes me go hmmm
Soap box closed ...........

we're leaving now that we have the campsite all set up!

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN !! Each day, you work on getting all the stones from under your tent (& sleeping bag) ... and FINALLY, it's perfect. Then it's time to leave. And such is the case with us .... although instead of stones, we had a lack of sunshine. AND, for us-it was ALL GOOD anyway- just not sunny. Until today of course! The warm, golden, Arizona sun came out loud & clear this morning! SO- as much as I would have loved to hang out another day or two, along with some new friends (yeh, right) We decided to leave a little early & head toward NEW adventures. To entertain us, the landscape changed about every hour .... snow, cactus, rocks, mountains ... you name it, we saw it.
and at least half of it was along Historic Route 66. It would appear that some locations are surviving ONLY on the nostalgic sales & passersby. A lot of run-down areas (where I wonder WHY people are even residents?!) Part of it wound through one of the reservations, & it's obvious that what they consider "living" is not the same as we "materialistic Californians". Shacks with generators. Boarded up windows, dirt road accesses, and yet ... new pick up trucks parked out front. Open land with so much promise ... not farmed or used for livestock. Hmmm

BUT- that was then .. and this is now .... and how others choose to live their lives is really not my worry. We have parked our weary bones in Kingman tonight, with BIG PLANS for tomorrow's travel. The va-cay may be heading for the gate- but we fret NOT, as home is a GREAT place to be!!

Love lives even BIGGER in our hearts today

a storekeeper today, mentioned that I was the ONLY customer she had seen that "really" looked like she was celebrating Valentine's Day.

Truth be told ... I have a LOT of heart jewelry, & I wear it routinely ... but YES- I made sure I had more than one piece on today. & she was not the only person who noticed.

The Captain and I are Valentine's every day. It's a gift we share with each other on a constant and ongoing basis. We practice & profess our love in many ways. More often than not- it is simply by our consideration of each others feelings or desires. But on a select few days during the year ... there is a bit more evidence of our mutual admiration society. Today we chose to kick back and just hang with each other. No destinations. No schedules. No leaving at daybreak & returning after the sunlight was all used up. We took to the local streets of Sedona and checked out nearly every single shop in town. Just walking (sometimes amongst snow flurries) & talking & being with each other. The fact that each of us had hidden little treasures for each other along the way .... was the kind of "sweet touches" we often extend to each other. It has been a lovely day .... filled with time together!!

Frrrrrrozen fffffun here in the canyon!

I admit -when the Captain originally mentioned that he was setting up a trip to the Grand Canyon in the month February ... the thought of snow (or even chilly weather) was not my first thought ! It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago, that I even pulled some info from the internet ... that I realized there would be no "sunning" taking place on this journey. Even then, having never been in Az, with the exception of flying into Phoenix-then to the convention center & hotel & 3 days later back on the plane ... with nothing in between (and over 100 degrees the entire time)- I didn't give it concern because.. afterall ... what difference would it make?! I WAS GOING TO THE GRAND CANYON! But ... as it happens, it has been the PERFECT time to be here. It's the first time the Capt & I have REALLY been to the snow together and our experience with is as yet ... have been incredible! Strolling around while the snowflakes gather in our hair. Catching them on our tongue. And waking to a blanket of it just outside our reach! Our expectations were set way too low as it happens! There have been little suprises around many corners and each day seems even better than the one prior. The UNEXPECTED has been the frosting on our cupcakes!

I'm having so much fun I could spit ...

One of my kids used to use that expression- and I knew from the look on his face what he meant by it. Eventually I adopted the same, and the thought came to mind to me today. THIS has been a great trip .... and it continues still. NEW experiences. NEW sights. NEW insights. This morning's outing started with views of the overnight dusting of the area just north of us. Everything looked fresh & pure .... with all the white cotton candy laying alongside the hwy. Cozied in our vehicle ... the brisk 32 degree air was evident the few times I rolled down the window for an artistic shot! Our plans called for a wide range of scenery & a lot of stops, so we hit the pavement running & didn't stop until arriving back in Sedona til after 8:30pm. We skitted from winter-esque surroundings, along the historic Route 66 to hit some nostalgic hot spots, (including the Wig Wam Motel), then across the vast expanse of flat land that led us to the meteor crater, the painted dessert, & the petrified forest. It was a whirlwind day of sights & textures. Lastly ... we have a "mini" game plan for our Valentine's Day tomorrow. I'd like to inject here- that one of the "SMARTS" of the past few days is partial planning for each day ahead .... allowing for changes in weather, wake-up times or destinations ... on a whim. In other words; planning some of our spontaneous-ness. ****during all of this .... much is going on in the ADULT mind of the Captain as he recollects his visit to all of these places as a kid, on his move out to California (from the east coast) in 1960.

at the very least .... it was incredible ...

Of the near 300 hundred pictures I took today .... (having dumped 20% of them already )... I STILL gotta say ... I love every one of them that I have tucked into today's legacy of our Arizona trip. There was much left either uncaptured or not up to par to REALLY show the beauty or emotion of the moment! BUT ...from the palette of southwestern colors laid against blankets of snow, to the flurry of snowflakes we tried to catch on our tongues, to the deer munching alongside the road, to the contrast of the canyon in & out of the reach of the sunlight (and even the calzone lunch & pork chop dinner) .... it could have been no more perfect! We gathered 4 National park stamps, snuggled at times to keep warm, learned a tidbit or two and THOROUGHLY enjoyed every bit of scenery! It was a magnificent day.

ARIZONA ... in my sights

I suppose a story is best begun at the beginning .... but since this post has NOTHING to do with the day I was born ... I will just start with yesterday instead! The Capt & I left home .... sunshine & all & headed south to San Diego for our overnight stay. The conversation was diverse, the traffic was horendous, the scenery lovely, the traffic dispicable, the lunch in Santa Barbara wonderful, the traffic frustrating ..... but the destination was FINALLY realized about 2 hours overdue! A "comforting" din-din of baked mac & cheese with ham & fresh green beans .... was WORTH the wait & after a little visiting, we hit the sack weary from tooooo much sitting! (ha) Morning came early with the aroma of bacon & waffles in the air and I was delighted to find several bowl of fresh fruit laid upon the table .... alongside a coffee cup waiting for filling. OH BABY!! They were yummy indeed. We chatted our way through my second cup of coffee, then grabbed our tootbrushes & hit the road. The clouds were hanging low & spit at us for the first few minutes ... but we knew we were heading toward the sunshine and looking forward to a change in scenery. It's been a couple of decades since the Captain has been in this neck of the woods and I have only seen it from the air ... so it was like new for both of us .... and I found the changes from the lower & higher elevations very interesting .... especially the rock formations-

and OF COURSE .... we were pleased when we FINALLY saw the first official indication that we TRULY hit the Arizona Territory!! We landed in Sedona, where we are staying for the next week or so, just after sunset and even in the early evening light .... it was pretty obvious that it's a beautiful place. 100+ pics later, I know I have not even begun to scratch the surface! (and I'm loving it)

bucket check off- comin' up

In a couple of days- I am heading toward this! And I so hope it is one of those "tourist" photos that REALLY looks like the place! I have my new camera & lens, my squished penny book & my National Park Passport already packed- and a red pen in hand to check the Grand Canyon off my bucket list. It means time alone with the Captain and even a mini visit with my sister in San Diego!

POPOKI .... can I have your autograph?

Popoki has hit the big time .... the big leagues .... the big top. And I suppose all that is good, but the best part is .... he doesn't even know (or care for that matter).
I received an email yesterday that "he" would be the featured cat today and it had been so long since I sent the info in- I didn't even remember when or what I'd sent(?) LOW & BEHOLD- when I pulled up the announcement this morning, I can now see that it was over4 years ago !! CUZ we've had him for almost 10 yrs. It is a beautiful picture of our baby boy and we will try to treat him just a little more special today .... since we are formally his entourage now! http://CatoftheDay.com

have I told you lately ..... that I like you?

sooooo .... I PROMISE to tell him just exactly that during our adventure next week (if not sooner) .... and probably MORE than once!