It's my brother Kenny's birthday today. He would have been 75. I can't believe he is gone over four years already. I miss him more and more. Here are a few photos with him and my sister and mom. Madeline, Kenny, Mom, and Sheila - 1993 Madeline, Sheila, and Kenny - 2006 Sheila, Madeline, and Kenny - 2007 … [Read more...]
Poetry Pact Blogfest – About family feuds
June 27, 2012 By 11 Comments
I've been surrounded by family feuds almost all my life. My father never spoke to two of his brother-in-laws, and he refused to talk about it or respond to my mother's pleas to make amends with his enemies. There were reasons, there were always reasons, mostly having to do with money and business. These family feuds caused a lot of strain and crying in our family. My mother had to see her brothers and their families on her own, and that wasn't easy in the 1950s and 1960s when she couldn't even drive a car. Sometimes my dad would drive her to see them and sit outside with a tightly shut mouth and his arms tightly folded across his chest until she was through visiting. Later on in my generation, my brother's wife decided she didn't want to speak to me for while. I never knew why, and thankfully we've kissed and made up. She also stopped speaking to her sister for a time as well. My brother didn't speak to his brother-in-law either. I never could understand that kind of behavior. … [Read more...]
My darling great niece and nephew
May 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
While we were traveling the past three weeks we visited our darling great niece and nephew in Virginia. I cannot help myself from bragging. Anna with her new book Ian listening to his bedtime story Clowning around With their mom And with great Uncle Bob … [Read more...]
It’s my birthday and I’m having a party
May 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Today is my birthday and I love celebrating with you. Here are some of the beautiful gifts I've received. Even the pups are throwing me a party … [Read more...]
A great family visit
February 27, 2012 By 1 Comment
Our great niece, Khloe, was here from Denver with her mom and dad this past weekend. She really liked putting her feet into the Pacific Ocean and playing at our local park. And now it's time to get back to my writing work. … [Read more...]
The eve of New Year’s Eve
December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I think this is a perfect day for looking back. Usually we go to an eve, eve party where we always share about our events of the year. Since it was cancelled this year, I'll share our major happenings of 2011 here. Major Happenings of 2011: 1. My husband, Bob, and I traveled to Amador County and Sutter Creek, CA with Manhattan Beach friends to taste some native zinfandel wines in January. On our first night there Bob fell and broke the three metatarsal bones in his right foot. Bob had foot surgery to repair and pin his broken bones together in February and had to be off his foot for eight weeks. He got around on a knee scooter (Rolleraid) or crutches. I was his driver. Bob on his knee scooter (Rolleraid) 2. On May 8 (Mother's Day) my memoir Leaving the Hall Light On was released by Lucky Press. My successful book launch reading and signing at our local independent bookstore, Pages, was held on May 12. A couple of weeks later we celebrated my birthday in Lake … [Read more...]
New traditions for our 2011 holidays
November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Now that I've ordered our Thanksgiving turkey, I've started to think about the holidays. They are always hard for me since we don't have Paul with us, but this year's Thanksgiving will be different and I suspect very wonderful. We're sharing it with our daughter-in-law Marissa's family. Everyone will come to our house and bring their Thanksgiving specialty dish to share. I'm the turkey, gravy, stuffing, and cranberries person. The rest is up to our ten guests. I can't wait to try some new foods, get to know my new family better, and perhaps start a new Thanksgiving tradition. A friend of mine recently sent me this piece about ways to change our holiday gift giving traditions. I think there are a lot of good ideas here. If you agree, please share them with your family and friends. Maybe we can show we care about each other in a whole new way this year. The Holidays 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high … [Read more...]
Family Ties
October 28, 2011 By 4 Comments
I'm looking forward to my sister's visit this weekend. She lives in the northwest, and we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, but she does come once in while especially to visit her daughter who lives near me. Sheila and I are nine years apart in age. She always says, "I'm the baby." I expect I'll be hearing that when I'm 99 and she's 90. But, it's all good. When she was born I got to help take care of her. It was like playing with a real live baby doll. And of course as we grew up, she and I became closer and closer - except geographically - because our age difference didn't matter anymore. This weekend we're having a girl's night out to see "So You Think You Can Dance" with her daughter and our cousin. I've never seen the show but Sheila says it will be terrific. (I'll let you know what I think next week.) Here's Sheila. The Baby The Sibs, Madeline, Sheila, and Kenny - a couple years before Kenny died in 2008. … [Read more...]
My role model
March 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Here is my Aunt Helen, age 94. Isn't she beautiful? She's always been my role model. I love her energy and her calm demeanor. And in her youth she looked like Hedy Lamar. Aunt Helen with two of her greats at the family wedding we attended last weekend in San Diego. … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday, My Madison
December 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Madison is seventeen years old today. We first met when she was eighteen months old. That day she took my hand and we bonded immediately. I think of Madison as my granddaughter I love her so much. We spend a lot of time going to lunch and the movies together. She is also known as the Sundance_Kidd, the writer of a wonderful movie review blog. During the last couple of years of Paul's life when he was living at home, he bonded with Madison too. She would sit beside him on the piano bench as he played for her, he put her up on his lap and showed her how to use the computer, and he played with her out in our yard. He was very sweet with her. She says she still remembers those days. Madison, I hope you're having a wonderful birthday. I'm so glad you are in my life. … [Read more...]
Two of my greats
December 19, 2010 By 1 Comment
I love the Jewish tradition of naming babies after loved ones who are deceased. After Paul died a niece and her husband and later on a nephew and his wife decided to each name one of their children for him. The little red-haired beautie (one of my great nieces) in the top photo has Paul as her middle name. And the cutie boy (my great nephew) in the bottom photo is named Ian -- Paul's middle name. I feel so honored that my niece and nephew felt so strongly about their cousin Paul to name their children after him. His memory now lives on through them. … [Read more...]
Paul and his grandpa
December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Paul and his grandpa (my father) loved each other. They hung out, they played, they took naps together - all before my father got sick with cancer and couldn't do those things anymore. Losing his grandpa was a big loss in Paul's life. I love this photo of the two of them together. My father, a mostly serious kind of guy, always smiled when Paul was around. Perhaps had his grandfather been alive, he would have been able to help Paul. Stop a Suicide Today Stop a Suicide Today is designed for family and friends - to teach them the warning signs and how to respond. Again, an organization that would have been tremendously useful to us. If you suspect a friend, family member or co-worker is considering suicide, do not wait and see. Act now: acknowledge, show you care, and help your loved one get the treatment he or she needs. For more information go to: http://www.stopasuicide.org/ … [Read more...]
Guest blog from The Sundance Kidd
September 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
My friend and fellow blogger posted the following on her blog. It's about my son, Ben, and his film project, Breaking Evans. So you see there's more than one writer in the family -- however, he's a producer, director, and actor as well. But, I'll let The Sundance Kidd do all the bragging. You can read The Sundance Kidd blog at: http://sundancekidd.blogspot.com/ Breaking Evans I recently had the opportunity to interview actor turned writer/producer Ben Sharples about his new film Breaking Evans. Breaking Evans, the up and coming indie-drama, takes you into the life of struggling tennis player Aaron Evans. Aaron returns home, after years of avoidance, to visit his ailing father. Coming home forces Aaron to confront his past, which may be the only way to save his failing tennis career. But is it too late? While attending the University of California Berkeley, where Ben played on the tennis team, he took an acting class, a decision that forever changed Ben's life. He caught the … [Read more...]
Ben and Marissa’s Wedding
August 16, 2010 By 1 Comment
Just a little bragging before back to posts about writing.... Flower Girls Samantha and Anna Bob, Ben, and Madeline Ceremony in the Garden The Newlyweds, Ben and Marissa Susie Cakes and Tina's Flowers … [Read more...]
Our Kwaj kids
July 30, 2010 By 1 Comment
We lived on Kwajalein, a Marshall Island, for 19 months in 1977 and 1978 where life was slow, easy, and filled to the brim with all kinds of beach and water activities. In those days I liked to get up early and after Bob left for work and while the boys were still sleeping I began keeping a journal. That writing resulted in my first published piece an article about our life on the island for my company magazine. I've been thinking a lot about our Kwaj Kids lately. Five of the children we knew on the island are now no longer with us. Bob asked last night if there could have been something in the water, something in the air, something about that life style. Who knows? None of them died very soon after leaving the island each was well on their way in adulthood. Perhaps the deaths of Mark, our son Paul, and Danielle were the most curious. I believe Mark's death was drug related, Paul's was a suicide, and Danielle's was a suicide of sorts she was a homeless alcoholic. Do these … [Read more...]
One day in Chicago
July 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I left my house the morning of July 2 at 4:30 to arrive at the airport for a 6 am flight to Chicago for Rhoda Gordon's funeral, and I returned home at 11 that same night. Call that crazy, but it worked for me. I just didn't want to call this a trip. I didn't want to bother with a suitcase or sleep in another strange bed after our recent five-week trip, so going to Chicago and coming back the same day made sense to me. And, I'm glad I did it. My cousin Mike was visibly moved to have my sister and me there. He is very bereft of family. And when he told me how much it meant to him as we kissed goodbye, I reminded him that he needed to have his family there with him at a time like this. And of course the highlights of the trip were being with my sister and her husband and having lunch with my other cousins who live nearby. I even had the delight in reading an interesting account of a murder trial in "The New Yorker," something I might have passed up had I not had the long stretches … [Read more...]
Another message from the universe
June 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I just received a call from one of my first cousins to tell me that his wife, Rhoda, died this morning. What a shock. I saw her a few weeks ago while we were in Chicago -- we celebrated our 70th birthdays together at McCormick and Schmick's at the Old Orchard Mall. Her birthday was four days before mine. And now she is gone. Just like that. Like how my husband and I felt after his brother died last January, this is message from the universe reminding us that we don't have an infinite number of days left. We need to use the ones that remain fully and wisely. And what is more, we need to visit family and friends every chance we have. I am so glad I saw her last month. And, now, I'll be going to her funeral on Friday. At least I can be there for my cousin during this hard time for him. … [Read more...]
Retirement countdown
April 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In less that a week I'll be unemployed. Scary but at the same time envigorating. I was in a nail shop at noon getting a quickie walk-in manicure, and I marveled at the women relaxing in those big chairs with the tubs with two people working on them -- one on their hands and one on their feet. And I thought that by this time next week I could relax in one of those chairs as long as I want. But, of course I won't. I've already created so many projects for myself that I wouldn't know how to fit in free time if I had to. My sister says I'll be foot loose and fancy free (now where did that term come from?), and I had to laugh. Moi? No that would never describe me. So, with less than one work week to go I've almost completed my office demolition. I've filled up almost four barrel-size trash bags, I carted another huge amount of papers to our library, I've taken home four cartons of stuff, and I've thrown out mercilessly. So, what's left ? My paintings and my person toiletry items and … [Read more...]
Forty-three years
March 11, 2010 By 3 Comments
Today is the 43rd anniversary of the day Bob and I fell in love. And tonight we will wine and dine to celebrate. My husband is still a romantic, and I definitely love him for that -- and for so many more things for that matter. But, lately I've been very preoccupied with things work related -- actually not about actual work but reminiscing about my long work history, probably brought on by the goodbye speech I have to make when I retire. I know that's several weeks from now, but I've been working on it anyway. What I've come up with is a list of things that I've experienced in the company since I've been involved with it that is not to say that I've worked here all that time. I started in 1963 and I'm retiring in 2010, but I did not work in this place straight through for 46 years. There were long patches of time when I was gone from the company. What's so is that I hired in five times and will have left voluntarily four times. The first time I had to leave because I was laid off … [Read more...]
