The Water Wiggle

For a couple of weeks now I've been remembering something that happened when I was a girl and it was so funny I just have to memorialize it in my blog. First a little background...I was filling out one of those "get to know your friends better" surveys when the question came up, "What was your favorite toy as a child?" To be completely honest, I don't really remember playing with toys very much. I know I had some toys but the only toy I could really remember having was the Barbie game. I remember having fun playing it, but it really wasn't my favorite toy to play with, mostly because you had to have at least one other person to play the game with you.

Suddenly I remembered playing with a toy that was so much fun the memory brings a smile to my face to this very day. It was a Water Wiggle! I'm not quite sure where the Water Wiggle came from but my guess is that my Aunt Chita probably brought it home from work. It was a hot summer day and my best Beatle buddy, Marie, was staying at my grandmother's house with me. We were bored, hot and sitting on the front porch when my grandma and grandpa decided to hook the Water Wiggle up to the hose. If you're not familiar with a Water Wiggle, it was a tube that you attached to the water hose, then there was a cup-like piece of plastic with a silly face painted on it. The water shot up from the hose, into the long tube and then bounced off the top of the cup which made the water propel this contraption all around, shooting water everywhere the whole time. Marie and I were wearing capris and poor boy tops and we were, of course, barefoot. Once the water was turned on, the Water Wiggle wrapped around us, chased us and soaked us from head to toe. We were laughing so hard, the thing would wrap around us and we kept running around getting wetter and wetter! When we finally stopped, my grandparents were sitting on the front porch with tears running down their cheeks from laughing so hard. I'm not positive but I think my aunt was there as well.

I'm sure we were quite comical to watch and I wish we'd had a videotape of that event but there was no such thing in those days. Sadly, quite a few years later I heard they stopped manufacturing Water Wiggles because they were too dangerous. Maybe they were dangerous, but it didn't stop us from having a great time with that silly toy.

God bless everyone this Thanksgiving and please pray for our troops and their families.

November Sunsets

It's November again and I'm enjoying the sunsets through my office window. November sunsets are especially spectacular because of the various colors that are displayed in the sky. The setting sun causes a rich yellow gold and the clouds become tinged with various shades of pink and peach. The remaining sky takes on deep blue, light blue, grey and periwinkle. I've watched the November sunsets out of my office window for a few years now.

The first time I noticed a November sunset, I was struck by the beauty and was convinced the Lord had painted the sky with such beautiful colors as a present for me. As Novembers came and went, I began to look forward to the evenings when the "painted sky" would appear.

In November of 2004, I had just become engaged to my husband Ray. We were planning our wedding at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Ventura, CA for February 2005. As I sat at my desk in my office I caught a glimpse of the November sunset and decided that the colors in the sky would be the colors at our wedding. This year, when I noticed the November sunset, I looked at a picture of my two daughters dressed in their bridesmaid's dresses and held it up against the sky. The two different shades of blue (sky blue for Candie and periwinkle blue for Nicole) matched the blues in the sky perfectly!

Now a few years have passed and Candie is living at Fort Irwin with her husband. We visited them last weekend and, late in the afternoon, a November sunset appeared. I was pleased that she had noticed the splendor of the sky herself and even took a picture of it.

Please take time to look at my November sunsets. You will not be disappointed! Please pray for our troops and their families.

Grandma-In-Waiting

Yesterday I spoke to Candie and was pleased to hear her routine doctor visit went well. She said the ultrasound showed that nothing had fallen off and the baby is still a boy. I'm glad to hear that, not because I have a preference between boy or girl, but because so many things we've purchased and made are geared for a boy.

This is such an exciting time. I remember being pregnant with my children like it was yesterday. In my lifetime I've given birth to 3 boys and 2 girls. My pregnancies with the boys involved lots of nausea and blotchy skin. With the girls, my hair grew long, thick and luxurious, my skin was aglow and I was never nauseated once. I know that the medical community would not agree, but I know my body definitely reacted differently depending on the sex of the baby.

My memories of all 5 pregnancies involve the excitement and anticipation of giving birth, then discovering what kind of personality each child had. The comforting thing for me is that, even as adults, each child of mine has the ability to put a smile on my face and bring joy to my heart just by being who they are.

I wish all the best for Candie, Thomas and their new little person. And I'm looking forward to getting to know the baby and, maybe, being able to add to his life experience. It's like God has given us a present to open slowly so we can savor every moment.

Please continue to pray for our troops and their families. With the Holiday Season coming upon us very soon, there are many who will be separated from their loved ones. They, especially, need our prayers and support.

My Year So Far

I realized that I hadn't posted anything since last January. I will update what's gone on so far this year.

On January 21, my husband was let go from his job. He began looking for a new one immediately. Then in May, we discovered that a hot water pipe to my shower had broken. Long story short, we had to undergo a complete demolition of both our bathrooms, mold/asbestos remediation, then reconstruction of the bathrooms as well as one wall in my daughter's room and one wall in the hallway. We spent 6 weeks at the local Best Western while all the work was taking place. Thank God Ray wasn't working and was able to rebuild both bathrooms with the help of some of his friends.

Also at the beginning of the year, I found out that Candie and Thomas were transferring from Hawaii to somewhere on the mainland. The possibilities included Colorado, Washington and Fort Irwin in California. On Mother's Day I was overjoyed to find out that they were being sent to Fort Irwin, which is a 126 mile trip from my house! It was a very good Mother's Day knowing that next year they will be home. Then on May 23, as I was getting my nails done, my cell phone rang with Candie's special ring. I answered and she said she had another surprise for me...she told me she was expecting a baby! It was just too good to be true-they were coming home to live and I am going to be a grandmother! The Lord has really smiled on me this year.

It's been a wonderful time looking forward to Candie and Thomas moving home and the new baby. We've since found out that it's a boy and appears to have all the necessary parts. Now that they're home, Candie is in "full bloom" and looking radiant, happy and healthy. Thomas is also looking forward to having his son and has been supportive and loving during this huge transition. They recently moved into their home at Fort Irwin, which is roomy and perfect for them.

Ray found a new job in September and was put to work immediately. He likes what he's doing and is busy learning all about his new company. This job is also two blocks from our home so it's very convenient. He is also busy studying for his contractor's license. I encouraged him to get his license because he enjoyed rebuilding our bathrooms so much. He is happy and I'm very grateful that I have him as a partner in life.

The lesson I've learned this year is to always trust that the Lord knows what He's doing. The dark cloud that appeared when Ray was let go from his job turned out to be a blessing and now every thing is better than it was before. Until next time, God bless you!

An Important Message

I received this in an e-mail and opened it today. It really made an impression on me because of the message. I hope you'll take the time to read it. Posting it here is my way of sending it on.

"Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One night I took a fare at 2:30 am, when I arrived to collect, the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase.

The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated". "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice". I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I' m tired. Let's go now".

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL. You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send this to ten people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on."

Thank you, my friend...Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. Please continue to pray for our troops and their families.

2008 So Far. . .

We're a week into 2008 and I've already taken action toward my New Year's resolution-I've gone back to Bulldog! Bulldog is the gym I joined almost four years ago. Back then I became a "regular" and I was in the gym 7 days a week, lifting weights and doing a minimum of 60 minutes of cardio exercise a day. I felt great, dropped 2 sizes and even developed a butt, not an easy task for someone who's genetically programmed to not have one. For a variety of reasons, I fell into a pattern of going on a hit-and-miss basis, then eventually I quit going altogether. Once I stopped exercising, the pounds just kept multiplying until I couldn't stand it anymore. In March of 2007, I decided I'd had enough and began a diet that has produced a 55-pound weight loss so far. I would like to lose another 30 to 40 pounds but realized that I needed help so I've added weight-training and cardio back into my life. I've also accepted the fact that losing the weight is the easy part; keeping it off is the real challenge. I plan to do so by exercising and developing more lean muscle to help keep my metabolism going. The motto at Bulldog is, "The only way to abuse your body by not using it". . .I love that!

Today as I sat at work and watched the winter sunset through the window in my office, another thought came to me. In February my husband and I will celebrate our third wedding anniversary. The reason the winter sunset brought that memory to me is because I watched the same type of sunsets through the same window right after we'd set a wedding date and that's how I chose the colors I used in my wedding. Seeing those colors in the sky once again made me feel happy inside because of the good memories of my wedding. I wish everyone could experience the kind of happiness I feel on a daily basis.

If anyone actually reads this blog, please feel free to comment. I would love to hear your New Year's resolutions or happy winter memories you have.

Please continue to pray for our troops and their families. God bless everyone!