Three Big Smiles from the Same Sofa

  It doesn’t seem so long ago our three grandgirls were little girls – Jess gurgling in her stroller, Mack wanting hugs and more hugs, Kendall the dancing nymph.

And suddenly they are women driving!  And they are beginning to drop-in to see us on their own.

The same sofa in our living room is where they all wind up – sometimes one at a time, sometimes in twos or threes.

Their smiles are huge.

And so are ours.

Two are coming again tomorrow!  And that is our excitement.

We will miss the oldest but she is in Nepal for the adventure of a lifetime.

 

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Joeleen

We met a true beauty yesterday.

When she was carried from the car, everyone stopped talking and whatever else they were doing just to look at her.

She knew she was beautiful but she never expected this unanimous reaction.

And everyone was smiling at her too and that made her so happy.

She came all the way from California – a star.

One look and we knew she could be a huge presence in the world.

She is always surrounded by a support staff at her beck and call, but she remains humble in her gorgeous-ness and always yearning for love.

Her name is Joeleen.

She is a 9 week old Saint Bernard show stopper puppy who was surely born to generate smiles.

And she is a love, with a disposition to go with her big fluffy huggable panda-like puppyhood.

Yesterday Joeleen’s new supporting cast of human characters brought her to our house for introductions.

She is not going to be mine, but thank you to her new pawrents (our friends Pam and Billy ) for the introductions.

We love Joleen, and she can add Bill and me to her supporting cast of characters any time.

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Starting Over with New Loves

Image from http://www.pinterest.com

Change is o.k. I guess.

But at what point should one begin to think about starting over?

I am giving serious consideration to reliving my life with new loves.

No, I don’t mean acquiring new relationships.

Well, maybe so.  Maybe some relationships.  Relationships with places and things.

Long-time favorites once loved and counted on are either going, going, going, or gone.

• The downtown gift shop I loved and even wrote advertising copy for is selling out!
• The health food store I depended on for expensive delicacies and youth restoring vitamins  has already closed its doors.
• Long nylon nightgowns that helped with silky, sleepy, bed-turning are now considered “Vintage” and impossible to find unless you want to sleep in something slept in by somebody else.
• Big terry cloth pot holders with pockets are missing. They may be another vintage item. (Hurrah Ebay!)
• My quilted barn coat is getting frayed from 12 years of use and is irreplaceable.  The store that carried it no longer carries it. Neither does anyone else.
• Favorite tea flavor (Vanilla Caramel) is gone from our local grocery stores.  Is there such a thing as Vintage Tea?  (Yay! Amazon!).

Every day something else is NA (Not Available – To be youth oriented, I am practicing talking in initials) and the search begins for replacements.

“Such is life,” my sainted mother used to say.

She never told me I would lose so many old loves and would have to start life over.

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Inspiration Through the Ages

I wish I had taken their picture.

I went to visit old friends who have been married  for 72 years.

He is 98 , looks 65 and is still a community volunteer!

Still driving her around town too.

He proudly says he takes no prescription medications- only Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and baby aspirin.

Imagine?

She is 92 and beautiful – elegantly coiffed with painted nails, gorgeous clothes, and a smile that transforms her face to youth.

They are both beautiful.

I love talking to them, or rather, just listening to their stories of a lifetime together.

Oh, there are the negatives like lost hearing, balance and reading ability.

But they both offer this advice:

“Do not dwell on  the things you cannot do.  Be grateful for  the things you can.”

And they are truly my inspiration.

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Is it Love the Morning After?

From http://www.quotesgram.com

I had an easy day yesterday.  No hard labor, sweating or dropping food on my shirt.  Everything I wore was still clean and crisp by bedtime.  So in an odd change of habit, I hung everything up to air overnight (except the used underwear of course) and decided to wear the same things today (with fresh under garments of course).

After dressing and when I was all set to go, I met up with Bill and said, “Good morning Bill!”

“You look nice,” he replied.

“It’s exactly the same thing I wore yesterday,” said I.

“Oh.”

There was not much to say after that, but there is nothing like Morning After Laughter in yesterday’s clothes.

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Hearts, Flowers and Chocolate!

It’s Valentine’s Day!

Again.

Bill told me when we married he did not believe in Valentine’s Day.

Still, after so many years, I wake up hoping.

And on this day, once again, there is no card, no candy and no flowers.

Bill claims it is  a “Hallmark Holiday”, and also a Catholic holiday (Saint Valentine you know).

And he is not Catholic.

Please – no pity – I find other diversions when my friends tell me about their tokens of love on this special day.

I am very good at convincing myself that when Bill builds a warm cozy fire in our wood stove, it is a testament to his love and commitment.

Or when he puts all the dishes away before I can get to them, it is  better than flowers.

Or when he keeps asking how my BigFoot is doing and gently touches to see if it is still swollen, that is sweeter than candy.

And when he invites me out to dinner to a special place – even on this Catholic holiday – it is a finer tribute than a Hallmark card.

We are dining tonight with friends at Virginia’s  Natural Bridge Hotel Dining Room  where there is – guess what –

A Valentine’s Day Special!

I can’t wait to dress up tonight and wear my heart on my sleeve for my non-Catholic boy who doesn’t believe in Valentines Day.  A diamond would be nice though. Hmmmm!  I wonder if he thought of that.

Natural Bridge Hotel Dining Room. Image from tripadvisor.com

A Storied Place. The Natural Bridge Park Historic Hotel

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All About Love

Happy Valentine’s Day from Virginia!

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