"IT" has happened AGAIN

Considered VINGAGE!

I woke this morning after a perfectly glorious week which started with a heavy APRIL snowfall followed by sunshine, warming temperatures and the disappearance of the snow that this year threatened to become a 12 month a year phenomena.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of appearing as "Auntie Lena, the Old Norwegian Woman" at the 50th Wedding Anniversary of dear friends.  The party was on the farm where the "bride" grew up.  I visited there often as a child. I drove there almost on auto pilot.  The roads had changed some, Minnesota 52 is now four lanes, the access to the county road now has a curve carved into it to "slow" traffic lest drivers think the road goes straight through. The farm?  Well the old barn remains with new siding and porch-like addition on one side.  All the other buildings are new, the "old Thompson Place" is now clearly the "Olson Place" and still in the family!  Where fields of corn, beans and alfalfa once grew undisturbed and cattle once grazed an enormous cell phone tower signals the 21st Century is fully present.

As one son-in-law of the honored couple said, "This is so amazing.  Who is married 50 years anymore? I tried to explain to my daughter (six years old) what it means to be married 50 years. All she knows is that her daddy is not yet 50 years old!"

"Auntie Lena" brought a deesh to pass: Made from scratch decadent chocolate cake with from scratch chocolate frosting complete with a used candle which she lite with a farmers match; homemade egg coffee in a Ball canning jar wrapped in newspapers to keep it hot "yust like ve used to do ven ve took it to da fields ven pa vas plantin' in da spring;" an antique portable Victrola on which she played polka music when it was all cranked up to handle 78 RPM records and ... ...  it was a grand time!  I wouldn't give it back for a million dollars.

Then the sun came up this morning.  Yes, I woke to a sun-filled morning with the sun steaming in ALL the windows in ALL the rooms of my home.  Struck by nostalgia, I made another pot of old fashioned egg coffee in the same "vintage" pot I used yesterday.  It really is the best coffee in the world whether made in the kitchen or over a camp fire.

While sipping my coffee and reading the paper I noticed a herd of dust buffaloes hiding under the newly recovered "vintage" chair in my den. My eyes then wandered over to the "vintage" unfinished bead-board cabinet that serves as a stand for the television.  Yup, another herd was lurking under the open edge.  As I returned to the kitchen to fill my cup, I noticed that herds were present in corners, under the china hutch, dining room and kitchen tables and ... ... ...

For about 10 seconds I lamented that I had let the house reach this point of disarray.  Well, I got over that real quickly!  I remembered visiting the home of a woman whom I admired greatly in the late 1970s.  There were piles of papers, stacks of books, projects in process and some dishes in the sink.  It was at that moment that I realized that she clearly made choices that fed her life and the lives of countless others; that her home reflected the richness of her life rather than her failure to keep the "perfect house."

It was also about that time that I made a commitment to myself and have stated that commitment often over the years to others: "If on the day I die all they can write on my tombstone is that 'she kept a perfect house' that would be proof that I missed out on a lot of life!"

So, in the past five weeks I:
~Spent time with family and friends
~Recovered from bi-lateral foot surgery on March 15
~Spent eight days with 11 amazing women near Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Yucatan
~Attended and celebrated Brooke's (grand-daughter) confirmation (Marissa, her big sister was her sponsor)
~Returned to full time work
~Attended the opera Turnadot with a dear friend
~Coordinated the Just Immigration Reform: 2013 Window of Opportunity (click on survey shows)
   event at work featuring local and national presenters
~Attended the wedding of dear friends
~Attended the Cantus benefit honoring the 30th Anniversary of the Advocates for Human Rights
~Had dinner with friends at the newly opened Daily Diner on the corner of University & Dale in St.
  Paul (great food, atmosphere, staff and MISSION)
~Volunteered at the HISTORY THEATRE in their development department (now showing This Side of Paradise)
~Shared "Auntie Lena" with dear friends

About the herds of dust buffaloes...I think they can live happily at least one more day.  After I finish the last drop of my egg coffee I am going to enjoy spring by spending the day OUTSIDE!

Sometimes I forget that every choice I make determines how I spend MY life.  I have to make a pot of egg coffee in my "vintage" pot more often and smile at those buffaloes as I pass by!

"Relationship is all there is!

I wrote the blog below six days ago but did not publish it. 
Nearly a week later, I still have come to no conclusions.  There is so much that is mystery ... so much to think about ... what seems to be the "answer" today often proves in days, weeks, months or years later to be not so clear.  So, I will continue to ponder life by

Just Thinkin'

Who we are with each other is who we are with the world." Carol Zinn, SSJ, CSSJ NGO- Representative to the U.N. (7/07)

I just turned off Sunday morning TV.  There was some "news" that was not tied to the Boston Marathon Bombing, the suspects, the victims both alive and dead...the way our lives are made different because of this violent situation.

There are a couple of words that stand out for me in the reporting through all forms of media:  terrorist, terrorism, Muslim, heroes and friends.

It feels like an impossible task to imagine the thousands and thousand of times we have heard and read the words, terrorist and terrorism.

In the order most spoken, most written:
(From my perspective, it is the only one I have!)

Terrorism:  Once again we hear this word used to describe a local incident that has national implications.  We hear that once again we must prepare ourselves for more such incidents ~ translation ~ more police presence, more "security," more scrutiny into our every day lives.

Terrorist:  the person (s) who perpetrate public violence?

Muslim:  I do not remember when I have ever heard the perpetrator of violence, public or in the home, defined as Lutheran, Episcopalian, Catholic (exception, pedophilia), Evangelical, or ...

Hero:  A right and just word used for people who come forward, either because of their profession or their innate sense of caring for others, to provide instantaneous care for those on whom the violence has been perpetrated.

Friends:  In the report this morning which was part of CBS Sunday Morning one of the suspected perpetrators was quoted as saying in an online communication, that he had no American friends.  He had been in the United States for more than 5 years and yet he had NO "American friends."

Did he want to get to know people?  Did people want to get to know him?

We put laws and policies in place to guard against terrorism and spend billions and billions of dollars to create a false sense of safety.  From my perspective, there is simply no guarantee that we can actually provide safety on this level.  On 9/11 a total of 128 people were killed and hundreds more were seriously injured. In the ensuing years, the number of people in the United States killed by terrorists committed to perpetrating terrorism against people they do not know include those killed at Fort Hood, Texas; Virginia Tech; Aurora Theater; Newton, CT and ... ...

In contrast: "The number of people killed by firearms in the United States remains high.  According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, between 2006 and 2010 47,856 people were murdered in the U.S. by firearms, more than twice as many as were killed by all other means combined." (ABC News August 25, 2012)
 
And then if we look further we learn that the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq: 6,614 and the number of women, in the same period, killed as the result of domestic violence in the US: 11,766 (50 Facts about Domestic Violence. Soraya Chemaly, 11/30/2012).

So what is my point anyway?  As I have been "just thinkin'" about everything this week, there are several things that stand out for me.

1.  There seems to be a perception that the FBI, law enforcement and the general public can predict who the terrorist is and what the terrorist will do.  In reality, we hear over and over again that people who know the perpetrator are "shocked" to learn that the person they knew could be capable of such violence.  In some instances we hear that they were loners with some quirky behaviors but rarely anything to really allows law enforcement or others to predict that they will perpetrate a violent act.

We heard this from classmates and friends of the suspects of the Boston Marathon Bombing,
the perpetrator of the Newton School shootings, Aurora Theater Shooting, etc.

2.  Now to back to the issue of domestic violence.  Once again extended family, friends, co-workers, neighbors are shocked to learn that the one who killed his wife/partner was capable of such violence. 

So all of this leaves me wondering:  how is it that we can expend billions and billions of dollars in efforts to stop public terrorism when we do so little to address the reality of terrorism in our homes and our city streets where everyone hopes to really be safe?

3.  How different would our homes and our public spaces be if we really cared about and for each other?  What would it be like of we had the capacity to respect all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation?  What would it be like if we spent more money on creating environments were people can create community rather that build structures that are based in fear and mistrust?

What if we lived and moved and had out being from a place of knowing and believing  that "relationship is all there is.  Who we are with each other is who we are with the world?"

What do I really know anyway?  Not much.  Much of life truly is a mystery!

There is so much that is mystery to me and I truly believe that we can continue to spend billions and billions and billions fear-based dollars in our efforts to end public terrorism when in truth we can not guarantee it will end.

I also believe that we can really make a difference in our relationships that absolutely influence how we relate with others and therefore the world.

Traveling Goddesses Spring 2013 Trip to Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Yucatan

A picture IS worth a thousand words!

Women from Minnesota and California guided by Traveling Goddesses: Transformational Travel for Women owners, Connie Delgado (MN) and Margo Hinnenkamp (CA) experienced an extraordinary week living in two villas overlooking the Caribbean Ocean: breathtaking views with every blink of our eyes; sumptuous food planned, prepared, presented and devoured on site and in the village; massages at the Jungle Spa (Mayan Women Healers) and on the veranda overlooking the Caribbean; a trip to Akumal to snorkel and swim with the turtles; and a trip to swim in the Akama Cenote.
Add in time for leisure, swimming, strolling the beach, experiencing yoga on the beach, dancing at the Infinity Pool; lounging with a good book, getting to know each other through story telling and laughter, lots of laughter. 

This picture, taken after an evening on the town and dinner at the Argentinian restaurant that says it all...incredible women sharing an amazing trip!  THANK YOU CONNIE AND MARGO!

Missing in Action

Well these past months it has happened again!  Back in October I was SO sure I was back online blogging with regularity.  Then "life" showed up again and I disappeared  once again for another five months!

Wearing MY shoes again!

I used to get really upset when situations like this reared up AGAIN.  Upset gets me nowhere except frustrated at me and if there is one thing I have to stop doing is being frustrated with me!

So today, I simply recognize that it is:
 ~~good to be back in action today
 ~~good to have had bi-lateral Morton's Neuroma surgery and be in my third week of recovery
 ~~hard to be patient with healing, I want to walk for exercise (not yet), I want to take a long hot
     shower (not yet), I want to take a long hot bath filled with lavender (not yet) and I want a
     pedicure (not yet)
~~exciting to be wearing my own shoes again and not the velcro closure post surgery "shoes"
~~thrilling to know that I will be back to normal daily activities in two weeks and able to walk for           exercise in four weeks
~~amazing to have three fabulous, caring, loving, kind, generous adult children and who are parents
     to my outrageously different and magnificent grand-girls and grand-boys (two each)
~~and a raft of friends near and far who live life's roller coaster rich vibrant journey with me.

So for today, I am back in action.  As if I am ever OUT of action!  I simply choose the actions that make each day and live into them until the sun sets on today and the sun rises on tomorrow.  It really is that simple!

How did THAT happen?

How does time get away from us? 
~~~The last post I made to just thinkin' describes the plight of a pinched nerve in my back and the Olympic efforts it took to simply pick up something that had dropped to the floor!   It is so utterly amazing how much time it takes to visit the chiropractor for treatments, to exercise, to rest and apply apply ice and heat.
~~~When recovered I went out of town for a meeting regarding the future of the Great Lakes held by the Religious Coalition on the Great Lakes; oh, and then for a long weekend for Labor Day that included a trip to Sedan, Minnesota to surprise a colleague whose last day at Rooney's was surprise worthy and two nights at a friend's lake home near Alexandria... ... ...and today is already 10/14/2012 with warm dry winds and few leaves left on the trees!
~~~It is amazing that in the past two months: my eldest grandson began his first year of college ; eldest granddaughter is a senior in high school and her sister is a sophomore and brother a sixth grader!  No longer do I call them on the phone or email them or welcome them for an overnight or weekend visit.  These days we Facebook and we text, I go to their school activities. Their visits to Gramma's house are few and far between with their time consumed their part-time jobs and homework and athletic activities, and friends.  I still work full-time, so my schedule can also be complicated!  
~~~Oh, did I mention they great young people and excellent students?   How did they grow up SO fast?
~~~This afternoon, I celebrated Mim's retirement.  How did THAT happen?  Her last day at MTF is tomorrow, then on Wednesday she heads out on a cross country road trip visiting family and friends, and seeing this amazing country. She plans to be back to Minnesota in early December.  I am SO happy for her! 

~~~While there I saw friends I have not seen in more than five years.  How did THAT HAPPEN?  




Life has a way of speeding up and sometimes it takes a while to get a grip and slow it down. 
The past five years have been fraught with unforseen circumstances that required a tremendous amount of time and money to overcome for many people, including me.  While many sadly lost their jobs and their homes, I count myself among those who hung on by thread and in so doing, managed to keep my home and job.  How did THAT HAPPEN?






~~~There are many factors at play including horrendously long hours of work and research and networking, digging into complicated systems and insisting that I be heard, that actions taken to correct the errors that were not mine; I could not have done it without the support of family, friends, co-workers and my employer who encouraged me as I navigated here-to-fore uncharted waters of living through the recession, nationwide downturn in home values and the whole mortgage industry debacle!
~~~During this time, I worked, worked and worked some more, had little time, money or energy for social opportunities - discretionary income was non-existent.  There were days that were very dark and I wondered how I'd make it through.  And once again, I have made it through!
~~~How does time get away from us?  We share it ~ live it ~ simply spend it!  Mom used to say that as we age, "if you think it has been three years, it probably has been six years.  Just double what you think and you will be close to right."   She also used to say, "can't never did nothin' for nobody."  Though she died in January 1998, her wisdom and courage and strength also guided me through these tough and rough waters.
~~~How does it happen that time goes so fast?   It is the result of living life fully in all its magnificence, simplicity and complexity!  It is about putting one foot ahead of the other, making the next phone call, sending yet another email, contacting another agency in wading through challenges and then running and skipping and celebrating those days of simplicity and complexity.  Far better living a life in which time goes fast that a life that drags on and on and on. 
~~~I had a wonderful weekend and I have an amazing life and I plan to keep spending time! 
~~~To blog this wee bit of just thinkin' this Sunday night I spent 35 minutes of my life and it felt good!

2012 Olpmpic Champions

Assistive Device

While the top athletes from around the world do things with their bodies that I had no idea the human body was capable of, I have been entered into my very own 2012 Olympics right here at home.

It all began when I woke last Monday and couldn't sit up in bed.  Normally getting out of bed  just happens."  Well, last Monday it not only did not "just happen" it took a lot of thinking and a lot of patience and a lot of persistence.  There were some panicky moments during which I wondered if I was going to be able to figure out how to get out of bed or be forced to call in reinforcements.

Being patient and creative I managed to roll over onto my stomach and slowly skooch to the end of the bed where I performed a modified push-up which enabled me to achieve an almost upright position.

Once downstairs and on the sofa in the den, I punched the number of the chiropractors office into the phone so all I had to do was press the green "phone" button to complete the call at exactly 8:00 a.m.  Pinched nerve, confirmed.  Treatment every other day, heat by day, cold packs by night, anti-inflammatory medication and relax relax relax and rest rest rest.

What I soon learned was the a pinched nerve not only renders one's agility null and void, it increases overall clumbsyness by about 400%.  I dropped things and then stared at them seemingly a million miles away.  All the while those 2012 Olympic athletes were breaking world records in gymnastics (YO GABBY), swimming, volleyball, track and field on the bloody TV across the room.

The obstacle course on my floor grew by the hour!  First my spoon, then my pen, then my napkin, the TV remote which I usually don't even care about and then ... ... it went on and on.  It was almost as painful to look at all the stuff on the floor as it was painful to move!  Now, I could have called in reinforcements.  Family and friends and co-workers would have been happy to help.  But ... I wanted the stuff picked up now!

After some pouting and pondering I realized that people who have serious mobility issues or those who are vertically challenged rely upon the patented "grabber" thing - you know - the one which when squeezed opens on the other end allowing one to pick things up.  They are usually 18-24 inches long.  What I needed to pick up was not that far away!  Oh, the joy when I realized that I have four different kitchen tongs, shiny gorgeous stainless steel ones for special events (two pair), a run of the mill everyday salad tong and the very functional stove-top tong with the red plastic coated handles.

How much better could it get!  Off to the kitchen I went at breakneck speed of the greatest distance runner ... okay ... the speed of Tiffany Tortoise, to retrieve my brightest and shiniest stainless steel tongs and in no time flat the obstacle course disappeared.  I decided to keep them by the sofa for my next fit of dropsy ... it didn't take long either.  In the course of the past week, I have awarded myself six gold medals for removing obstacles from my path.  I may just have to have my stainless steel tongs dipped in gold and then soulder five gold Olympic rings onto it as a sign of patience, persistence and a creative solution to pinched nerve dropsy.

Life is always first and foremost a matter of perspective and rooted in the truism that laughter really is really really the best medicine!

No Words

I woke early, read the newspaper and then got ready for work with the intention of working on updating our website ~ doing this work from home.  At 6:30 I turned the computer on only to discover a black screen.  So, I left a message for the IT guy at work; took the computer to the office and planned for the crashed computer to be the crushing blow of the day.

At the office a friend/co-worker told me about the mass shooting at the Aurora, CO movie theater during the opening night presentation of "The Dark Knight," the latest in the Batman series.

Since then ... it is as only it can be ... a truly dark day in which no words can possibly make sense of the unfolding horrors...  President Obama will be speaking to the nation within the hour.

... ... ...