13 Years

 

Hard to believe that it's already been 13 years since my Grandma passed away, some days it seems like it has been longer, some days it seems shorter. She would be an awesome 93 year old today. Very happy to have two adorable great-granddaughters!

The recession has hit everyone

I thought I had seen it all, but I was wrong.
Today, I was standing in line at Hobby Lobby wondering why they did not have another checker to help with the long line, I saw a sad sight. First the store manager, then a woman in her 70's in handcuffs followed by a uniformed police officer.
That my friends, is when we know the recession has hit. Come on, Hobby Lobby has great weekly sales, honors competitors coupons and is closed on Sunday. Why steal from them?
I wonder what she was stealing? Yarn, needles, paint supplies, frames, wedding bubbles, cake decorating stuff, shadow box materials, scrapbooking stuff, puff paint.

The past week

 
 

The past week has been a rough one, losing a friend of the family that I have known my entire life and my mom has known since first grade.
She was a wonderful lady, with a great attitude, zest for life, spunk and the will to live and accomplish her goals, unfortunately, Jan lost her fight to cancer last Sunday. Not only did she lose her fight to cancer on Sunday, but her sister also lost her fight with cancer on Friday, two days before. Does not seem fair at all.
Jan is pictured above in the red shrug, it was fitting that she was wearing that in this picture, red was her favorite color and a lot of us wore it to the funeral.
Here is a poem I read at the funeral:



Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without affect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you,
for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.

All is well.

Portland to Coast Relay 2009

It was a wonderful and extremely humbling experience to participate in the 127 Portland to Coast Walk Relay last week. I went with my friend SG, and we were a part of the FunTimes team that consisted of 8 women total. It was wonderful getting to know each and everyone of them. The team was made up of: a nurse anesthesist, an ER nurse, an acupuncturist, two interior designers, a financial aid advisor, a teacher and myself.
Some pictures are attached and I will elaborate in another post.