This weeks travels have me walking the shores of three of the greatest of the GREAT LAKES of the United States and Canada and as a result I have been researching bits of trivia about this area. Having traveled to the wilds of Northern Michigan I am encountering Three Great Lakes. This fact is mind boggling to me. After all, these lakes are huge. They span miles and miles of shore line along the US / Canadian borders. I mean, these lakes are HUGE ! When you look out from the shore of one of these lakes you think you are on the edge of the world. There is no land on the other side, no land on the horizon, no land in sight. Christopher Columbus might as well be sailing off to find India because there is no end to these bodies of water. And yet three of them all come together at one place and that is right where I happen to be ! HOW COOL IS THAT ????!!!!!
I was not aware of this phenomenon before I left for the UP of Michigan. Heck, I wasn't even aware of the UP ! So this whole trip has been a unique experience. I'm spending a great deal of time looking at maps trying to figure out why this portion of land is not part of Wisconsin. It makes no sense to me why Michigan would even want the UP. Logistically it should be part of the state of Wisconsin and Michigan should be part of Canada. But what do I know. It is what it is and all those years ago when the French and the Indians were fighting each other over land and hunting and trapping and pelts and goodness know what the land was divided up the way it was and the states ended up this way. Who ever ended up with this piece of land got the most interesting section of property in this part of the country. Surrounded by Great Lakes on three sides it is FREEZING in winter and a boaters and fisherman's paradise in the summer. Lake Superior borders most of the UP on the North shore and lakes Huron and Michigan share the southern shores as the state of Michigan splits the two lakes. Such a great geography lesson ! It is a very pretty area up here and the city of Mackinaw, small as it is was very interesting to visit at the base of the bridge spanning the straights that divide Lakes Michigan and Huron which are actually said to be ONE gigantic lake !
Everyone thinks the bridge is huge and amazing but I guess they have never been on the Brooklyn Verrazano-Narrows Bridge or the Annapolis Bay Bridge in Maryland. Either of those bridges have the Mackinac Bridge beat by a mile. But it's still pretty cool and I'm having a great time checking out the great new places.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
HANGING WITH THE YOOPERS
Once again I was on the road and this time my travels had taken me to the northern Peninsula of the state of Michigan, otherwise known as the "U.P." The folks here are known as YOOPERS because they live in the upper part of Michigan and they fondly refer to the folks in the lower part of Michigan as TROLLS because those folks live "under", or below, the long bridge that connects the U.P. with the lower part of the state. Northern Michigan is a large area containing only 3% of the states population most of which are of Scandinavian decent. It is a unique and scenic area surrounded by two of the Great Lakes.
The trip to the U.P. from West Palm is a challenge since it involves flying from here to Atlanta, Atlanta to Detroit and then Detroit to ESCANABA, MI. Now if you have never heard of Escanaba, MI don't feel bad because you are not alone. The airport has ONE (1) gate and only TWO (2) planes fly in and out of the airport each day. BUT there is a movie featuring Escanaba and staring JEFF DANIELS (Escanaba In Da Moonlight). (It's rather a cult classic but worth the watch if you are so inclined. It actually was filmed in and about Escanaba.) Anyway, after flying into the tiny airport and being met by my wonderful friend Dwayne we drove the 7 miles north to the even smaller town of Gladstone where Dwayne lives on a most beautiful farm.
I got to feed the deer each day and chase "DUMB ASS" the turkey around the yard to keep her from pecking any more paint off the car. There is a resident female turkey who seems to think she is the loveliest turkey in the county. She comes out of the woods every day and struts her not so fine butt over to the bumper on Dwayne's truck where she can see her reflection. There she preens herself and rubs herself and talks to herself. We assume she thinks she is talking to another bird but she just is having one very fine time of it. It is quite the show with the exception of the scratches she is putting on the car and truck.
Then there is the skunk who was waiting to greet us one night when we came home after dark. He just sat by the barn watching us without a care in the world. Even the deer steer clear of that little guy. The resident bald eagles are by far the most impressive though. There are at least three of them roosting in the tall trees on the edge of the tree line just in back of the barn. They are huge birds and often swoop down to sit on the roof of the barn where they will sit to survey the property. One afternoon we counted 13 eagles in the tree at one time.
You can't see a neighbor to either side of the property and even though the main road is not that far away you don't see or hear any cars. This is country living at it's best. I could be in Maine, Alaska, Maryland or upstate New York. It's all the same.
I got to play Country Girl for a few weeks. As BFF Jeanne told me, and I have to agree, I am really a country girl at heart! I would much rather be in my jeans and tee shirt than a party dress any day! So move over turkey and grab me the rake, I'm out to pick some apples and bake some pie. YOOPERS here I come!
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| Mackinac Bridge |
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| Lake Michigan |
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| LAKE SUPERIOR Painted Rocks |
The trip to the U.P. from West Palm is a challenge since it involves flying from here to Atlanta, Atlanta to Detroit and then Detroit to ESCANABA, MI. Now if you have never heard of Escanaba, MI don't feel bad because you are not alone. The airport has ONE (1) gate and only TWO (2) planes fly in and out of the airport each day. BUT there is a movie featuring Escanaba and staring JEFF DANIELS (Escanaba In Da Moonlight). (It's rather a cult classic but worth the watch if you are so inclined. It actually was filmed in and about Escanaba.) Anyway, after flying into the tiny airport and being met by my wonderful friend Dwayne we drove the 7 miles north to the even smaller town of Gladstone where Dwayne lives on a most beautiful farm.
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| Deer eating sugar beets |
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| Princess "DumbAss" the turkey |
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| BALD EAGLES |
I got to feed the deer each day and chase "DUMB ASS" the turkey around the yard to keep her from pecking any more paint off the car. There is a resident female turkey who seems to think she is the loveliest turkey in the county. She comes out of the woods every day and struts her not so fine butt over to the bumper on Dwayne's truck where she can see her reflection. There she preens herself and rubs herself and talks to herself. We assume she thinks she is talking to another bird but she just is having one very fine time of it. It is quite the show with the exception of the scratches she is putting on the car and truck.
Then there is the skunk who was waiting to greet us one night when we came home after dark. He just sat by the barn watching us without a care in the world. Even the deer steer clear of that little guy. The resident bald eagles are by far the most impressive though. There are at least three of them roosting in the tall trees on the edge of the tree line just in back of the barn. They are huge birds and often swoop down to sit on the roof of the barn where they will sit to survey the property. One afternoon we counted 13 eagles in the tree at one time.
You can't see a neighbor to either side of the property and even though the main road is not that far away you don't see or hear any cars. This is country living at it's best. I could be in Maine, Alaska, Maryland or upstate New York. It's all the same.
I got to play Country Girl for a few weeks. As BFF Jeanne told me, and I have to agree, I am really a country girl at heart! I would much rather be in my jeans and tee shirt than a party dress any day! So move over turkey and grab me the rake, I'm out to pick some apples and bake some pie. YOOPERS here I come!
HANGING WITH THE YOOPERS
Once again I am on the road and this time my travels have taken me to the northern Penninsula of the state of Michigan, otherwise known as the "U.P." The folks here are known as YOOPERS because the live in the upper part of Michigan and they fondly refer to the folks in the lower part of Michigan as TROLLS because those folks liv"under" , or below, the long bridge that connects the UP with the lower part of the state. Northern Michigan is a large area containing only 3% of the states population most of which are of Scandinavian decent. It is a unique and secenic area surrounded by three of the Great Lakes.
I only arrived here late last Wednesday so I haven't really gotten to see too much of the area. The fact that we have had torrential rain storms two of the days that I have been here has accounted for the lack of scenic drives. Tomorrow we will keep head North and East to the Mackinaw bridge which connects this portion of Michigan with the main portion of the state. Then we will drive south about four hours to where Dwayne's grand daughter lives with her father and we will visit with her for a day. I am getting to meet members of this family who are all of Norwegian decent, all having been residents of the state of Michigan for several decades. Since arriving here in Gladstone, MI I have met two of Dwayne's brothers who also live here and several friends of the family. I'm getting to feed the deer each day and chase "DUMB ASS" the turkey around the yard to keep her from pecking any more paint off of the car. There is a resident female turkey who seems to think she is the loveliest turkey in the county. She comes out of the woods every day and struts her not so fine butt over to the number on Dwayne's truck where she can see her reflection. There she preens herself and rubs herself and talks to herself. We assume she thinks she is talking to another bird but she just is having one very fine time of it. It is quite the show with the exception of the scratches she is putting on the car and truck.
Then there is the skunk who was waiting to greet us the other night when we cam home after dark. He just sat by the barn watching us without a care in the world. Even the deer steer clear of that little guy. The resident bald eagles are by far the most impressive though. There are at least three of them roosting in the tall trees on the edge of the tree line just in back of the barn. They are huge birds and often swoop down to sit on the roof of the barn where they sit to survey the property. You can't see a neighbor to either side of the property and even though the main road is not that far away you u don't see or hear any cars. This is country living at it's best. I could be in Maine, Alaska, Maryland or upstate New York. It's all the same. Small town USA at it's best. Everyone knows everyone and that is a GOOD thing. Your neighbors are there for you when you need them and even though they know all your business they still will give you the shirt off their back should you needed it.
I'm enjoying playing Country Girl for a few weeks. As BFF Jeanne told me and I have to agree, I am really a country girl at heart! I would much rather be in my jeans and tee shirt than a party dress any day! So move over turkey and grab me the tractor, I'm out to pick some apples and bake some pie. YOOPERS here I come!
I only arrived here late last Wednesday so I haven't really gotten to see too much of the area. The fact that we have had torrential rain storms two of the days that I have been here has accounted for the lack of scenic drives. Tomorrow we will keep head North and East to the Mackinaw bridge which connects this portion of Michigan with the main portion of the state. Then we will drive south about four hours to where Dwayne's grand daughter lives with her father and we will visit with her for a day. I am getting to meet members of this family who are all of Norwegian decent, all having been residents of the state of Michigan for several decades. Since arriving here in Gladstone, MI I have met two of Dwayne's brothers who also live here and several friends of the family. I'm getting to feed the deer each day and chase "DUMB ASS" the turkey around the yard to keep her from pecking any more paint off of the car. There is a resident female turkey who seems to think she is the loveliest turkey in the county. She comes out of the woods every day and struts her not so fine butt over to the number on Dwayne's truck where she can see her reflection. There she preens herself and rubs herself and talks to herself. We assume she thinks she is talking to another bird but she just is having one very fine time of it. It is quite the show with the exception of the scratches she is putting on the car and truck.
Then there is the skunk who was waiting to greet us the other night when we cam home after dark. He just sat by the barn watching us without a care in the world. Even the deer steer clear of that little guy. The resident bald eagles are by far the most impressive though. There are at least three of them roosting in the tall trees on the edge of the tree line just in back of the barn. They are huge birds and often swoop down to sit on the roof of the barn where they sit to survey the property. You can't see a neighbor to either side of the property and even though the main road is not that far away you u don't see or hear any cars. This is country living at it's best. I could be in Maine, Alaska, Maryland or upstate New York. It's all the same. Small town USA at it's best. Everyone knows everyone and that is a GOOD thing. Your neighbors are there for you when you need them and even though they know all your business they still will give you the shirt off their back should you needed it.
I'm enjoying playing Country Girl for a few weeks. As BFF Jeanne told me and I have to agree, I am really a country girl at heart! I would much rather be in my jeans and tee shirt than a party dress any day! So move over turkey and grab me the tractor, I'm out to pick some apples and bake some pie. YOOPERS here I come!
Friday, October 7, 2016
TRAVELING THE ALASKA HIGHWAY
As promised, I am coming back to tell you a little about my trip back from Alaska along the ALCAN. Let's first say that should you ever decide to make this trip you should pack a lunch! And a dinner, and a suitcase in a 4 wheel drive vehicle and plan on taking at least a week, if not more and go in the middle of the summer ! That being said DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA ! Now the other problem is getting to either end of the starting points of this highway. Both ends of this road are situated in the middle of NO WHERE ! One end is TOK, ALASKA and the other end in in DAWSON CREEK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. The road is a distance of about 1,500 miles and was built back in 1942 during WWII.
Any more facts about the ALCAN I will let you research yourself but should you ever decide to take this road trip I highly suggest you purchase the guide book titled MILEPOST. It's a wonderful book that takes you mile by mile of all the highways in the Alaska and Canadian area. It tells you wonderful facts of the towns and areas and fills you in on places to stay and eat and stop and visit. The books is updated year to year so don't buy it until you plan to leave on your journey.
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| Dawson Creek |
AS for my journey . . . . WOWZERS !!!!!!!! After visiting for 12 days in Fairbanks with Dwayne's family I just wanted to buy a house and stay in Alaska forever. We took a 2 day trip to Valdez which was one of the most beautiful places I have seen. The town itself was nothing, a tiny little hole in the wall of mountains surrounding it but the harbor and mountains and the roads entering the town going through and over two, NOT ONE BUT TWO, MOUNTAIN RANGES, was magnificent. Have you ever been some place so beautiful that it made you cry ? This was one of those trips. I swear you could just feel the presence on GOD in the mountains, hills, waterfalls. It was so incredible. And every turn you came around and every hill you came over just brought a view more beautiful. I couldn't stop taking pictures and saying, "OH MY GOD!" And Dwayne, who has done this trip at least 7 times just couldn't stop grinning and saying, "I knew you would love this!" And that would make me cry more.
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| Valdez |
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| Valdez |
The trip to Valdez was just a tease for the Alaska Highway. Once we got on the road for the ALCAN we drove some of the same roads we had taken to Valdez. The first couple of hours are the flat driving through the valley out of Fairbanks but then the road turns SE and starts to head off to Canada and once you cross the Canadian border you really get to see those mountains rising around you and you know you are on your way.
The other thing that lets you know you are on your way are the little sticks stuck in the ground on the side of the road with little strips of pink ribbon waving off the top of them. It took me a while to realize that every place you saw them it meant there were bumps in the road. When the road looked like it was decorated for a birthday party with ribbons blowing like confetti you knew you were in big trouble. But what was worse was when the Canadian road crews were ACTUALLY fixing the roads. That resulted in at least a 45 minute delay. Traffic was stopped in both directions and you had to wait for a PILOT CAR to come and take the caravan of waiting cars, trucks, tankers etc. through the construction area which usually was about a mile to a mile and a half long and a mess of mud to keep the dust level down. We would periodically come across these construction areas, park the truck, turn off the motor, get out for a stretch and depending where we were in the line get talking to the workman or the other travelers. It was most entertaining.
But once on the road again we were back on high alert to watching for the great ALCAN wildlife. Going all through Alaska we did see some animals along the road but mostly the 3 dogs at DJ's house were about as wild as it got. There were plenty of salmon down in Valdez but other than that wildlife was in short supply. Until . . . Second day out we were coming down off a long hill and I asked if that was a Volkswagen parked on the side of the road up ahead on the left. Turns out it was a BUFFALO ! He was the size of a VW and he was right on the side of the road. Just standing there, content as anything munching on the grass, enjoying the morning sun. We stopped, I got out and took pictures along with a couple of other travelers and on we went. Over the next several days we saw black bear, grizzly bear, elk, moose, deer, sheep, big horn sheep, goats, wolf and fox. All just standing or eating by the side of the road.
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| Volkswagen |
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| grizzly bear |
Thursday, October 6, 2016
ENOUGH ALREADY
STOP THE HURRICANE NEWS ! I WANT TO GET OFF !!!!!! It's a normal Thursday, with the exception of some wind and some rain. I am home watching TV like I would on any other Thursday night except for the fact that I can not find any of the normal shows I would be watching on Thursday night. All I can find is HURRICANE MATTHEW on EVERY TV station. Even FOX NEWS has reports of the freaking hurricane. All they have been talking about since Monday for 24 hours a day is this stupid storm. All you can find on the TV is radar maps of the track of the storm. Where it IS, where it is GOING, where it has BEEN, where it WILL go. ENOUGH ALREADY !
This morning my friends Teresa and Steve came over and put up the hurricane shutters on the condo I am renting. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the two most awesome young friends in the whole wide world. These two wonderful kids have their own house to take care of but took time out to come over here and take care of me. I owe them big time !!! They are GOOD friends !!!!!
So here I am, hurricane shutters in place, snug as a bug in my "Cathie Cave" ready to settle down for the BIG STORM and . . . and . . . and . . . and . . . well, it's almost 10 PM and not for nothing and I sure hope I'm not putting a hex on this, but so far this is a big NOTHING ! For all the blah blah blah blah that the TV stations have been doing and all the upset they have been causing and making people go absolutely CRAZY they should be ashamed of themselves.
I know we have to be prepared but this is too much. The news media has gone way beyond reporting the news and has gone into the realm of scare tactics and sensationalism in order to increase their ratings and make money. It is shameful and criminal !!!! People have evacuated their homes. Two of my friends need to be on Valium or stronger due to the stress they are under thanks to this hype. Both of them are so freaked out they haven't slept in days for worrying about this hurricane. Thank you TV news. This is NOT reporting, this is NOT journalism. This is TRASH reporting that should get blown away with the hurricane.
Thank goodness for NETFLIX and their great shows that I can stream for hours so I don't have to watch 24 hours of HURRICANE MATTHEW (because all my friends are texting me with the latest up dates any way.)
By the way have you watched the show "SHAMELESS" on Netflix with William H. Macey? It is great. Check it out. Netflix is also great for avoiding endless political commercials.
This morning my friends Teresa and Steve came over and put up the hurricane shutters on the condo I am renting. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the two most awesome young friends in the whole wide world. These two wonderful kids have their own house to take care of but took time out to come over here and take care of me. I owe them big time !!! They are GOOD friends !!!!!
So here I am, hurricane shutters in place, snug as a bug in my "Cathie Cave" ready to settle down for the BIG STORM and . . . and . . . and . . . and . . . well, it's almost 10 PM and not for nothing and I sure hope I'm not putting a hex on this, but so far this is a big NOTHING ! For all the blah blah blah blah that the TV stations have been doing and all the upset they have been causing and making people go absolutely CRAZY they should be ashamed of themselves.
I know we have to be prepared but this is too much. The news media has gone way beyond reporting the news and has gone into the realm of scare tactics and sensationalism in order to increase their ratings and make money. It is shameful and criminal !!!! People have evacuated their homes. Two of my friends need to be on Valium or stronger due to the stress they are under thanks to this hype. Both of them are so freaked out they haven't slept in days for worrying about this hurricane. Thank you TV news. This is NOT reporting, this is NOT journalism. This is TRASH reporting that should get blown away with the hurricane.
Thank goodness for NETFLIX and their great shows that I can stream for hours so I don't have to watch 24 hours of HURRICANE MATTHEW (because all my friends are texting me with the latest up dates any way.)
By the way have you watched the show "SHAMELESS" on Netflix with William H. Macey? It is great. Check it out. Netflix is also great for avoiding endless political commercials.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
HERE COMES THE BIG BAD HURRICANE !
All of South Florida is in a tizzy because a hurricane is (or MIGHT BE) headed this way ! The roads are insane with people racing around getting gas in their cars . . . where are you going to drive to if there is a category 4 storm folks ? They are racing to the grocery store to stock up on food and milk and water for seven months JUST IN CASE (in case the storm separates Florida from the main land and sets us a float in the Atlantic?) (Even then we would float 50 miles and bump into the Bahamas or Cuba. ) The roads are clogged with people rushing around like idiots doing I don't know what in anticipation of this storm that no one really knows if it is coming this way or not.
I had to go out today to go to the ENT doctor for a hearing test. I know my hearing is getting worse and worse and when I was traveling and visiting all my friends and family it became even more obvious that I couldn't hear all those higher pitches and had to keep saying, "Excuse me, What did you say?" That and the fact that the TV is now cranked up to 43 on the volume control and I don't have anyone else to use as an excuse I figured it was time to suck it up and go for the evaluation. Sure enough, old age is taking it's toll on my ears. Not only that but I had an alien object in my ear. At first the audiologist thought it was a cluster of hair but it turned out to be some sort of seed pod or something stuck in my ear canal. Goodness only know where it came from or how long it's been in there. I wonder if I brought it back from Alaska ??
While I was at the ear doctor today every one was talking about THE HURRICANE. I sat there like a duffus wondering what the hype was all about since I hadn't heard anything since a day ago when the storm was still on an easterly track heading out into the Atlantic Ocean coming no where near the coast of Florida. Now suddenly everyone is on high alert and I have just walked in from parking my car in the only shaded spot I could find in the 92 degree, blazing hot parking lot. The last thing I 'm thinking is that there is a storm any where in the vicinity of Florida. And yet it is the buzz of the office. "OH YES" I am told, There is a High pressure system pushing the storm West and the spaghetti track has it coming right toward us. Meanwhile, TODAY is TUESDAY. The storm, IF it is going to hit is not going to get here until FRIDAY !! BUT the world has gone INSANE. At least I was now aware and prepared for the insanity that I encountered on the rest of my stops for the day. As I drove to drop things at Goodwill, which was EMPTY, (no one shops at Goodwill when a hurricane is coming!) the people driving were NUTS ! People were driving like it was the last days on Earth. Horns were blaring, people waving their arms yelling at each other. I seriously have never seen this type of behavior before, except when the snow birds arrive. There were lines at the 2 gas stations I passed. People shouting at each other! Total insanity. So I went shopping at Ross. There was NO ONE in Ross even though it is Senior Discount Tuesday!!!!!! It was great. I bought a pair of skinny jeans and a beautiful jacket. All in a smaller size !!!
Then I came home, sat down and turned on the TV to check on this crazy hurricane that is making all of South Florida loose its mind. Sure enough . . . it is coming this way. Well, I guess I'll be the best dressed storm sitter waiting for all the wind and rain to pass us by because that's what hurricanes do.
They show up, blow around a lot of wind and rain and move on out. And the next day here we sit with a ton of food we bought from the store and wonder why we bothered.
I had to go out today to go to the ENT doctor for a hearing test. I know my hearing is getting worse and worse and when I was traveling and visiting all my friends and family it became even more obvious that I couldn't hear all those higher pitches and had to keep saying, "Excuse me, What did you say?" That and the fact that the TV is now cranked up to 43 on the volume control and I don't have anyone else to use as an excuse I figured it was time to suck it up and go for the evaluation. Sure enough, old age is taking it's toll on my ears. Not only that but I had an alien object in my ear. At first the audiologist thought it was a cluster of hair but it turned out to be some sort of seed pod or something stuck in my ear canal. Goodness only know where it came from or how long it's been in there. I wonder if I brought it back from Alaska ??
While I was at the ear doctor today every one was talking about THE HURRICANE. I sat there like a duffus wondering what the hype was all about since I hadn't heard anything since a day ago when the storm was still on an easterly track heading out into the Atlantic Ocean coming no where near the coast of Florida. Now suddenly everyone is on high alert and I have just walked in from parking my car in the only shaded spot I could find in the 92 degree, blazing hot parking lot. The last thing I 'm thinking is that there is a storm any where in the vicinity of Florida. And yet it is the buzz of the office. "OH YES" I am told, There is a High pressure system pushing the storm West and the spaghetti track has it coming right toward us. Meanwhile, TODAY is TUESDAY. The storm, IF it is going to hit is not going to get here until FRIDAY !! BUT the world has gone INSANE. At least I was now aware and prepared for the insanity that I encountered on the rest of my stops for the day. As I drove to drop things at Goodwill, which was EMPTY, (no one shops at Goodwill when a hurricane is coming!) the people driving were NUTS ! People were driving like it was the last days on Earth. Horns were blaring, people waving their arms yelling at each other. I seriously have never seen this type of behavior before, except when the snow birds arrive. There were lines at the 2 gas stations I passed. People shouting at each other! Total insanity. So I went shopping at Ross. There was NO ONE in Ross even though it is Senior Discount Tuesday!!!!!! It was great. I bought a pair of skinny jeans and a beautiful jacket. All in a smaller size !!!
Then I came home, sat down and turned on the TV to check on this crazy hurricane that is making all of South Florida loose its mind. Sure enough . . . it is coming this way. Well, I guess I'll be the best dressed storm sitter waiting for all the wind and rain to pass us by because that's what hurricanes do.
They show up, blow around a lot of wind and rain and move on out. And the next day here we sit with a ton of food we bought from the store and wonder why we bothered.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
TROUBLE SAYING GOOD-BYE ?
There is NO ONE who has more trouble than me when it comes to saying "Good-Bye". Just ask my kids, grand kids, friends, or the lady at the grocery store. I can NOT say good-bye with out crying and creating some sort of a scene! It has been this way for as long as I can remember except when it came to my parents. I vividly remember,(and the story was repeatedly told over the years), that when I went to kindergarten at just 4 years and 4 months old I told my mother she could, "Go now", and that was that! (Although as the years went on I did become the clinging only child that would never sleep over at friends houses and was "home sick" for the first year at college.) All that being said I still cry when ever I say good-bye to ANY ONE when I am leaving them for more than a week or two or a distance of more than 100 miles. I have managed to mask the tears behind dark glasses but be assured THEY ARE THERE dripping down my face and catching in my throat.
Abby and Kaelin are now so in tune to this that they stare at me to watch for the moment when grand ma is going to "lose" it so that they too can let loose with their own waterfall of grief until we meet again. We know we are going to be together again but we just don't want the fun to end and so we are upset at having to let go of each other and all the love and hugs and physical affection that we share when we are together.
That being said . . .
WHY do we have such a hard time saying the BIG GOOD-BYE when, even though we are leaving all this love down here on Earth with all these wonderful people we love so dearly, we are going to some place where we are loved beyond our imagination? I guess maybe I just answered my own question. Because we just can't imagine how much God loves us. We know the love of our families and friends but the LOVE OF GOD is . . . well, when you think about it. We really do know how much GOD loves us if we just take the time to look at our family and friends. They wouldn't be them without God. We wouldn't be us without God. We wouldn't be here without God. We wouldn't have gotten to this point of our lives without God. We wouldn't have the people in our lives without God. We wouldn't have the Peace and love and wisdom without God. All that we have has been a gift from God. I guess GOD loves us A LOT to have blessed us so very much so why shouldn't we be overjoyed to be called to his side. You just have to open your mind to the possibilities of what is in store for you. And to look at all you have already been blessed with. It can only get better and better.
Which some days I find impossible to imagine !
P.S.
I feel an explanation is called for. A friend from Florida and NY recently lost her husband to Pancreatic cancer. It was very sudden and very fast. She is a lovely lady and a very strong Catholic who knows that God has a plan and is accepting of that plan. She and Tom are in my thoughts as I write this. If you would say a prayer for her and her husband I know she would appreciate the blessings. I know God is taking good care of both of them.
Abby and Kaelin are now so in tune to this that they stare at me to watch for the moment when grand ma is going to "lose" it so that they too can let loose with their own waterfall of grief until we meet again. We know we are going to be together again but we just don't want the fun to end and so we are upset at having to let go of each other and all the love and hugs and physical affection that we share when we are together.
That being said . . .
WHY do we have such a hard time saying the BIG GOOD-BYE when, even though we are leaving all this love down here on Earth with all these wonderful people we love so dearly, we are going to some place where we are loved beyond our imagination? I guess maybe I just answered my own question. Because we just can't imagine how much God loves us. We know the love of our families and friends but the LOVE OF GOD is . . . well, when you think about it. We really do know how much GOD loves us if we just take the time to look at our family and friends. They wouldn't be them without God. We wouldn't be us without God. We wouldn't be here without God. We wouldn't have gotten to this point of our lives without God. We wouldn't have the people in our lives without God. We wouldn't have the Peace and love and wisdom without God. All that we have has been a gift from God. I guess GOD loves us A LOT to have blessed us so very much so why shouldn't we be overjoyed to be called to his side. You just have to open your mind to the possibilities of what is in store for you. And to look at all you have already been blessed with. It can only get better and better.
Which some days I find impossible to imagine !
P.S.
I feel an explanation is called for. A friend from Florida and NY recently lost her husband to Pancreatic cancer. It was very sudden and very fast. She is a lovely lady and a very strong Catholic who knows that God has a plan and is accepting of that plan. She and Tom are in my thoughts as I write this. If you would say a prayer for her and her husband I know she would appreciate the blessings. I know God is taking good care of both of them.
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