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 |  The latest Life Journey of Nada, widowed, now married! Blog #4 |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I'm no longer a single widow. I found true love again. Call me Lucky! |
| Hi to those who remember me, and Hello to those who don't! I've been on a very long cruise to Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Caledonia, Samoa, Fiji, as well as the usual South Pacific haunts. The one thing I shall always remember is being the last ship into Vanuatu, (Port Vila to be exact), before the category 5 cyclone devastated those islands. We were on a glass bottomed boat a week before it hit, and talking with people. The world situation is dire. The global warming is creating droughts in other countries too...as well as cold temperatures for those places supposedly having summer. I took only summer clothing, and found myself getting? to buy a wool and possum sweater, hat and socks in New Zealand. Weird, yet beautiful. Came home to more crap than I left, but hey, I'm still here. I'll try to find some photos and post them soon...hold your breath, lol. |
| I hope we all can have a kinder year than the last. Well, wishful thinking is what we do on the last day of the year! I am still medicine free! That is great! Hope you all had a nice holiday season...I thought of us often. Really. I'm ok, wish I could say the rest of my family is. Oh well, let this be a reminder to remember "You can only control about 3 feet around you." It is my new year resolution! HAH! |
| It's hard to believe five years have passed now since Lance died. I did what I always do, sit outside and watch the first sunset of the rest of my life without him. The good thing is I am no longer alone doing it. Nobody contacted me, how quickly we are forgotten. Let that be a lesson to us all. We just got back from a vacation at the beach. It was warm during the day and great sleeping weather at night. I drew (well, painted) 7 different trailers or RV's. Here are a few. (I know, I can't spell but hey!) We are expecting company from Malta/London this week, a couple we met on our second South Pacific Cruise. Should be fun....when this current heat wave passes. Sure makes it hard to get their room ready since it is upstairs. It's been over 3 months I am med-free...makes me wonder...but I won't waste time thinking about it, I plan on doing things! Speaking of that here I go....... |
Where does time go? My birthday came and went. WHEW...survived another year! Actually I got to celebrate being med-free for 10 weeks, which means it is completely out of my system now, and so it seems is RA. I've decided not to question the whys and hows, instead just be grateful!! Much thanks to The StoryMaster for the acknowledgement and GP's. Sad news about Robin Williams, but for the rest of us life goes on. Been doing some traveling, having some guests soon and don't miss FaceBook a bit! Been doing some art, mostly pets interest me now. None of these are my guys, I guess I am too close to capture them from a distance. I feel a sense of urgency to draw...though blogging does tempt me again. Every so often I give in to temptation.  Cesar still comes here, though he has been having some difficult family challenges of late. Don't we all? My dad has a hard time remembering who I am, so I try to spend some extra time with him. I really would like to bitch about how things are, but hey...I don't like reading bitching, so I won't contribute. Why does blogging not feel natural to me anymore? It must be because I don't do it often enough. Just a fact. Maybe I will try it more often. |
| I sometimes hate my computer. Actually I should dislike my always thinking. I decided to look up my old writing mentor, Lou Morheim. Yes, the one who brought The Magnificent Seven to the USA, wrote and produced many things. He and his wife came to my wedding reception in 1983 when I married Lance. Granted I last spoke to him a few years ago and knew he was getting old, but he passed away last September. I hesitate to look up anyone anymore....they drop like flies, which reminds me I will too one day. My son's grandmother passed away last week. Yes, my first husband's mother. His grandfather passed away a couple of years ago. Only my father remains, and he is dealing with memory issues. It is so sad. I am reminded to dance faster, live more fully, and draw and write all I can, while I can. One never knows. Wow, pretty morbid, yet just a reminder at how quickly life goes by. My son's birthday is Friday, he'll be 47. GULP. I asked what he wanted for his birthday. "Your good health." He replied. Yeah, me too. Well, a few words are better than none. Have a great day! I will. |
| I thought I had better check-in since it has been so long. I am doing fine....still taking a shot every two weeks, and I do feel better with my RA. In fact, I've switched doc's to one closer....errrr, maybe not closer but a hell of a nicer drive!  As you probably heard, there is a drought, so the lake is shrinking rapidly...and I used to joke about seeing the lake go down every time I flush. Bad joke now. We are conserving water like I have always, except now I save every drop I can and water plants. We are also trimming trees and cutting brush. The Orioles made an appearance on schedule just before March 17th. It's very comforting to know life goes on, even when the world seems to be falling apart. My son is doing great! How long I have wanted this, and now he's working a real job as a cook in an Italian Restaurant, and he looks great! He texts me every morning..."Good Morning", and I know it is,or both of us. I decided to let him "steer the boat" and not push for a relationship and it WORKED! The kitchen is still fabulous and I can't believe it's almost a year since we started it. Time flies when you are having fun. I'm still doing art, though I must say I have changed style...but not the medium, watercolor. Here is one I just did...it's for a children's book. The frog in it is named Boris and is based on a small frog which came to live in the dog's water dish. I really wanted to touch base here, people are so kind, and I do think of you often. I am around, just not writing as much!  |
Home again! You know it's funny, I had a lovely road trip with my husband and Niles and Frasier, but there really is no place like home! I told Paul, "We have spent more time in the RV than I have in my new kitchen!" And so we are back. We, nor the dogs, had an opportunity after it was finished to get used to the new kitchen, so it is we are still opening cabinets and drawers to find stuff. To be perfectly honest, I have memories of utensils or other things I have had…but tearing up the kitchen meant choosing to keep some stuff and get rid of others. I am still discovering I no longer have blah-blah. It's rather disconcerting, but as we get older I am finding things I thought I needed I no longer do! I suppose living out of an RV for a month really pared down what I need to get by. I also thought about the fact that a fire could destroy our house while we were gone. Oddly enough, I was okay with it…in other words what will be will be. I'm really glad nothing happened, I've not finished living my life here. Now and then I think back to the beautiful home I had with Lance, with a 12 x 15 foot closet and wonder about my sanity then. Okay, not so much because it did help to sell the house later, but with my changing body type it is difficult to even find comfortable clothing, much less a huge closet full. The same goes for shoes I am sad to say. I used to have hundreds, now if I get out of flip-flops or slip-ons I'd be amazed. I still have high heels I look at and wonder when I would ever put them on? My body so revolts against what is in style now…it's probably a good thing I am not young anymore! I can't imagine wanting to wear those platform high heels that, in my day, strippers wore. My how times have changed…I'm sounding like my parents. I'm in a much different phase of life now, one I could have scarcely imagined a few years ago. It doesn't much concern me that I am no longer interested in the clothing or newest styles…I can remember wearing some pretty outrageous things in my past. I also remember when I would covet a designer's clothing…now everyone designs for ©Target. I have some handbags and evening gowns left over and I wonder what to do with them. I've been selling some stuff, including kitchen stuff…but it is more selling distant memories than the items…and for pennies on the dollar. Paul and I went to dinner with my father and his wife on Friday. It was weird. My dad is losing his memory, he couldn't figure out what his wife's name is. I take some comfort in knowing he is nearly 91 before his memory is fading, yet it is like seeing a roadmap of the road ahead and it is not pretty. I do take heart that he has no other health issues though. It just is hard to see such a vital man floundering. We noticed Paul's mother was beginning to have issues also with her memory…and she'll be 92. I feel good enough to blog today, but know I'll pay for it physically later. It's worth it though. Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!! |
| Blogging has become a luxury. For that matter so has drawing. I now find I have to talk into my smart phone to be able to blog. But unless I can convert my thoughts into a drawing I'll be content to try and talk my way into a blog. I haven't been blogging much, but that's not because I don't like blogging because I do. I wonder how many of you have ever thought about speaking your blog instead of typing it? It's not exactly easy to do I found out. I wish it were easier and I wish the "voice" was the same. I suppose I wish I didn't have to communicate in this way at all but as we grow older we reach for ways to express ourselves. For me, for a while, it was drawing. (I guess I've used all three of my wishes just in just the last few sentences, so relax and enjoy the rest of my "wish-free" blog!) For the past week or so I've been in Texas helping a 92-year-old woman who lives alone. She is my husband's mother and I love her dearly but it's a window into my own future whether it be 30 years or two years. I have no idea. The truth of the matter is I doubt I'll live to be 92 but looking at 92 from 65 it doesn't look so great. I don't know if I can stand going from Independence to total dependence on other people for everything you do. I suppose when you're a baby and you can't communicate your needs, other than crying, or it means you're either hungry,wet or sleepy. But when you're 92 you have to rely on people to anticipate for you and that's not always easy. If you're an independent woman you're used to doing these things for yourself and it's very hard to give up control and ask someone to do something for you. Yet I have come to the realization that this is exactly what I'm going to have to do. To some extent, I am already asking Paul to do things for me; lift heavy items and the like. I realize how fortunate I am each day to have someone to ask to do those things for me. When we leave his mother tomorrow she's going to have to go back to worrying how to do for herself in a wheelchair or walker, depending on how her leg heals. This makes me sad and it makes her sad too. And yet, this is a reality for all of us,learning to deal with being alone. I say this now knowing my own son is not going to be there for me in the future. I know this because he's not here for me now nor has he ever been in the last 40 some odd years. In some ways I think when you have children you're comforted by the fact that one day they will help take care of you. Not so much anymore. Children become adult versions of the disenfranchised population. Of course not all of them are, but I know from experience both my son and my husband has one of his sons who sometimes just don't care beyond themselves. I guess I could only offer the advice that I would take myself and that is to prepare for the day when you can't do it all yourself. Well that and having a program that lets you talk your blog. |
| Well, so much for letting off remodeling steam here! Tomorrow is my 65th birthday...wahoo. Getting social security and medicare is sort of like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Let me explain. My husband hit this particular milestone just over a month ago, so everything he goes through I know I will also get to go through, albeit a month later. The last fiasco for him involved some letter saying he had been overpaid (through no fault of his) and they demanded he pay back $1,740.00 in the next 30 days. Uhhh, ok, a hardship, but....so we mailed them a check immediately. Now yesterday he gets another letter saying they will withhold his August payment to repay themselves. WAIT...so now we will be out $3,400??? My husband worked his entire life paying SS (like most men) and is a Vet to boot. I have my own issues...but hey, let's get to the kitchen remodel. No, it's not over yet. After a false start on Monday with the countertop installation, they were installed yesterday. They also installed the wood countertop underneath the rock arch. I did get the washer and dryer installed and hooked up so that I have been able to do laundry now on premise. (If you count 1 load.) We're still cooking on the grill and microwave. Oh, and did I mention we have decided to go Gluten Free? Well, in some ways it makes eating easier...no wheat products. So not only do I not have a kitchen yet, but now we are diet restricted. Sounds like fun eh?!! Looking at the pics from a month ago I do see MUCH progress, so I won't complain too much...besides it will be done in 2 more weeks. Will let you see now. |
What a great day! At 7:30 this morning the kitchen crews were bustling. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact it was forecast to be in the 90's here and 100 plus the following two days. Anyway there was some great progress made, they put a coat of paint down and hung all of the upper cabinets and even placed some of the lower ones. The room looks smaller, but once they finish putting in the cabinets and get the center island and it's hood up it will be time to measure for countertops. Then comes the backsplash, appliances, final doors, plumbing fixtures, lights...well, who knows what all but it is beginning to look like there could be an end to it. Here are today's pictures! Paul's birthday was really nice. We ate out at a lovely Italian restaurant in Ventura and saw the new comedy movie, "Heat" with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. We highly recommend this for a great couple of hours laughing. You know you could use a laugh!! Hope everyone had a good weekend! |
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. Cute pictures! I'm so glad you have found a new and different, but still beautiful, life.