Family Ties

In my family, birthdays are big! Every birthday is a occasion to have a party with lots of family, food, cake and picture-taking. And I wouldn't have it any other way! Getting together with family to celebrate each other's birthday is the perfect celebration. I love the inter-generational interaction. Sometimes I sit back and look over those who are gathered. I enjoy watching my newly-married nieces talking to older aunts and younger cousins. Young nephews and sons play games and get teased by uncles and older cousins. Young and old, we are all related and we learn from each other. We are safe in the unconditional love that we have for each other. Sometimes it amazes me how diverse we are. We are all so alike and yet so different from each other. My boys' birthdays are in the summer and our birthday parties are often outside. Today, we celebrated one of those birthdays - with family, of course! I believe the best gift we can give our children is a sense of family. I hope my children have benefited from a close extended family and that they, and their cousins, will carry on the the tradition of the big family gatherings. Families who celebrate together, support each other and create special moments for their children . . . it's a good thing!

Saying Good-Bye

It is always difficult to say good bye to a friend who is moving to a different city. Even if the city she is moving to is not far away, the dynamics of your friendship changes. No more spur-of-the moment plans, no walks together or attending last-minute events together. When you live several hours from each other, everything must be planned ahead of time. My friend R is moving to a new life tomorrow. Her house is packed up (almost), her boxes are stacked (more or less) and she is ready for her last day of work. As she leaves her career and this city, she is moving to a city where she will be close to her daughter, her son and her two grand-children. Needless to say, she is ecstatic about moving and is looking forward to her new condo and spending time with her family. So now, she will have family to share spur-of-the moment plans, to go for walks with and to attend last-minutes events with. Although, selfishly, I will miss R, I am so happy for her. This is what she has planned for and worked toward, and she is making it happen. It is one of life’s quirks that R and I even became friends. I was originally friends with her daughter. When R’s daughter walks into a room she lights it up with her energy, her conversation is animated with gestures and laughter, and she can hold you spellbound when she tells a story. When she moved away, I think R and I reached out to each other because we missed her, and we had our admiration for her in common. Who knew then that R and I would become such good friends? As I got to know her better, I began to see where her daughter got her qualities from! As well, R became my “music buddy”. We went to many public concerts and home concerts together. R has a great sense of humour, is artistic, musical and is an intelligent and vibrant woman. Her grandchildren are so lucky to have the chance to grow up with R in their daily life – what a gift that is! Knowing that, even though you will miss her, your friend is going on to a better life and you are happy for her . . . it’s a good thing!

Passionate about Passion Plants

In my annual “spree at the Green House”, I bought several new plants. I love shopping for plants each spring. I always buy old favorites, as well as a few plants I have never tried before. I usually buy a mixture of annuals and perennials. Usually, I know at least a little about the plants I am buying. This year however a plant at the green house caught my eye just because of its name: passion plant. I had no idea how difficult or easy this plant is to grow, if it has a flower or simply foliage or even if it is a perennial or an annual. The leaves were quite beautiful, so I would have been pleased to simply enjoy the greenery. Even if it had no flower or even ugly foliage, I would have loved this plant just because of its name: “passion plant”. The name congers up images of romance, knights in shining armour and true love, and I just knew I had to own one. The little sign that came with it said that could tolerate full sun or partial shade. Guided by that instruction, I planted it by my patio along the lattice. I planned on going on-line to look up information on this plant, but just never seemed to have time to do so. The plant began to climb up my lattice. A couple weeks later, I noticed a few bulb-like growths on it, which was my first clue that flowers were developing. The growth was quite big, so I guessed it might be a fairly big flower. Again, I was going to look on-line, but just didn’t get around to it. This week-end, I was “puttering” around in my back yard and out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something huge and pink on my trellis. My wonderfully-named plant had grown beautiful, huge flowers! How perfect the flowers were! Maybe that’s why it is called “passion” plant – because the flowers are so beautiful that everyone who sees one is passionate about it? Growing beautiful plant in your backyard and being passionate about it. . . it’s a good thing!

Keeping Time

Is there something wrong with one person having this many watches? I hope not, because all the watches in this picture are mine! And those are just the watches that have working batteries. I don't know when I started having a "watch obsession". I remember a time when I owned only one watch at a time. I can't recall when it all got carried away. All I know is that I suddenly have a lot of watches - more watches than a normal person should have. I had a watch given to me for Mother's Day, then one for Christmas. Then I found a watch I really liked in an Avon catalogue. And it just grew from there! Suddenly, when I wasn't looking, they multiplied. And here's the clincher: I don't even wear a watch very often. I usually keep track of time on my cell phone. However, when I do decide to wear a watch, it's fun picking just the right one. If any of my friends need to borrow a watch, they can usually find one they like in my collection, so maybe I am subconsciously collecting watches to help people. Yeah, that must be why! Having the perfect watch for every occasion . . . it's a good thing.

Criminal Intent

Why does it feel so good to get away with something illegal? I don't mean murder or grand theft, just little things like speeding or not plugging a meter. I was driving along in the city when my cell phone rang. Normally, I try to pull over to answer it. But I was on a busy street with no lane to turn into, so I decided to answer my phone while driving, which of course is now illegal. While I was busy talking and driving, I pulled up to a red light. Suddenly, I noticed that sitting directly across from me was a police car. I instantly knew that the police officer could see me and I was about to get a $200 ticket. The light turned green, our vehicles met and we made eye contact. I knew it was over! I checked my rear-view mirror to watch him crack a u-turn to "come and get me". However he kept on driving! What a great feeling! I had just gotten away with a crime - right under the nose of the law! It might not rate up with Al Capone or Bonnie and Clyde, but just for a little while I felt like a law-busting outlaw on the lam. I don't why it felt so good, but I was invincible for the rest of the day. I even considered parking in a handicap zone, but thought that might be pushing it! I guess I'm not cut out for full-time criminal activity. Getting away with it . . . . it's a good thing!

Purrr-fect!

Is there anything cuter or sweeter than a kitten? What is it about them that tugs at our hearts? Little girls love them and even grown men can't seem to resist picking one up and petting it. Part of their charm is that they really don't care what you think about them - they can live very well without you, thank you very much! They will purr when picked up, but won't beg for your attention. They are miniature cats with the attitude of a full grown cat. They are so independent that they can be infuriating! There is no "poor me" syndrome in cat land. Their eyes don't miss a thing and you can keep them amused for hours with a string. I love how soft their fur is - the feline equivalent of soft baby skin. There are some people that all cats like. My niece A was such a person. When she was little, she could subdue any cat, no matter how wild, and have it purring on her lap in no time. Come to think of it, A was also independent and played by her own rules. Maybe that's why the cats liked her so much - she was a kindred spirit! Independent and free-thinking little girls and baby kittens . . . it's a good thing!

The Trip Home

One of the best feelings is the happiness and relief you feel when driving someone you love home from the hospital. When my son was little, he spent a lot of time in hospitals, and it was always wonderful to be able to bundle him up and take him home. When a loved one is hospitalized, you feel so helpless as you place your faith in the hands of doctors and other medical specialists. You are so not in control! Without medical training, you have no idea what is happening and you just have to trust that all the right decisions are being made for your loved one. I often drove my Dad home from his hospital stays. I remember feeling that our lives were so disrupted when he was hospitalized and feeling almost angry that things were not normal. It always felt "right" once he was home. He did not come home from his last hospital stay. A few years later, my Mom married a wonderful man. Today, I drove my step-dad home from the hospital. All those feelings of relief and happiness came flooding back. As I delivered him to my Mom and to many waiting friends in his building, I realized that I am not the only one who loves this very special man, and that a lot of people are feeling that things are "right" again. Driving someone you love home from the hospital . . . it's a good thing!