Not on My Wall.........

I'm back. Typing is such an effort that I'll cut right to the story.

That would be the one about the devil worshiping rams head.

Actually the real ram's head is much more impressive and sinister than the picture from yesterday's blog. When my grandson saw it he insisted we hang the entire skull on the wall and drape it with lights (especially the eye sockets). I demurred as it was my wall upon which he proposed to hang the offending bones.

"I love you forever but not to the gates of hell" I replied. I'm not superstitious but this ram's skull is so thoroughly creepy I could envision myself in a long black cape and black candle. I'm sure this is not what my granddaughter intended when she made the last-thirty-second bid on ebay. Carole wanted a beautiful horn for a lamp like the one pictured. What she got was the Omen.

Sarah's brother came today and assured us that he would make two beautiful lamps from the skull. (And no, he's not afraid of the devil. ) Here's a pix of what I hope our new lamps look like. I doubt I'll have either one in this house.
OK. I'm done typing. Sending love.......

Always a Party

No, I'm not dead yet. Many thanks to my dear friends for reminding me of the fact! Life has more twists and turns than an elephant's intestine and I've been in survival mode for the past few months. However, Lucy is back on track and anxious to share with her friends. As usual, things are unusual here in the Donn Dimension. It's always a party and everybody is invited,

In addition to the wedding in July, we had a sudden death in the family. Carole's oldest son suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm and died with merciful quickness. However his body wasn't found for 4 days---he was expected to be out of town. As expected, the scene was ghastly and traumatic. Carole, Aaron and Sarah had to deal with things. I don't know how they did it---I would have gotten a migraine, thrown up or both. However, since I'm a Jewish granny, I can suffer vicariously.

In any case, the Donns have had waaay to much excitement the past few months. But at the same time I kind of enjoy it. It means I'm not dead yet. However, I type like I am. That's why I'm closing this entry. Tomorrow I'll finish the story. The picture gives a hint about what's coming, See you manana.

Dancing the Night Away

I was waiting for the kids to get the "professional" wedding pictures back. They hired an apparently reputable and personable fellow who arrived at 2 in the afternoon, stayed until after midnight and took hundreds of photos. That was a month ago and we haven't heard from him since. He was paid a significant amount of money beforehand and we're beginning to get a bit nervous.

Thankfully many of our friends and family took candid pix of the wedding and I'm sharing a few of those until I track down our erstwhile photog and eat his hair off. Then, if possible, I'll post some "fancy" fotos.

Aaron and Van's wedding was held at Jack and Carole's home in Manitou Springs, CO. Folks started coming about 3 in the afternoon and either helped out or hung out. The bar opened about 4 and guests were able to neutralize their mojitos, home-brewed beer/ale et al with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian and continental appetizers, entrees, desserts and a decadent and delicious wedding cake.

The ceremony took place at sunset on a large deck overlooking Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods. It was a windless, balmy and thankfully pretty typical CO summer's eve. I stood, soaking it all in, quite amazed and incredibly thankfully for all my blessings. I wondered if I'd live to see Sarah married. (But couldn't imagine how it could be any more wonderful than this moment!)

Everything was just about perfect. And if it wasn't, nobody told me about it. I had a wonderful time and lasted until the cake was cut, the speeches were made, the dances were danced and my corns started killing me. As I've found myself frequently saying recently, it was the best day of my life. I'm one very blessed old granny.

If it's not too boring, I'll share some more photos soon. Even if Professional PhotoMan never turns up. Love to you all.

Joy and Sorrow

My dear blogger friends---whom I follow and think of so very, very often:

I've suffered from grievous guilt at not posting for nearly three months. This truly has been a time that illustrates my conviction that a well-lived life is a balance of joy and sorrow---and perhaps there's a message for my peers. Our lives are never ever-so-wonderful or decidedly devastating as we fear or hope them to be. Reality, for those of us who struggle until we die is to love life, which is a strange and wonderful amalgam.

During the past three months we've had 2 unexpected (and traumatic) deaths in our immediate family, Both required a commitment of emotional, physical and financial resources. Our family accepts that sorrow as appropriate and good---though at times beyond comprehension.

Also good, viewed in 20-20 hindsight is the celebration of a new family beginning; a more painfully honest, more inclusive, more accepting way of moving forward. Our loved ones have left us and would most certainly want us to embrace new promise. I find this most uncomfortable...but necessary. Should I thank G-D I can still look forward...for the sake of my children and theirs...though I feel comfy only looking backwards.

But here is the joy, the hope and the reconciliation and new life that came together 2 weeks ago at my grandson's wedding. At our house, my son officiating, with our mishpocha, and with my all hopes and blessings for joy. All the best joy and love to you all.

An Inconvenient Truth

You've probably seen this before, but I hadn't. It's a metaphor for the "oxymoranity" of American politics. It's all about talking the talk---which, let me make clear, needs to be done in the issue of global warming. However, I'm depressed to report I'm no longer surprised when our "leaders" are not walking the walk. And I'm no longer shocked by the ironies that are certain to pop up. So go figure (and with the disclaimer I abhor, detest and denounce Dubya):

House #1: A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400 per month. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern 'snow belt' area. It's in the South.

House #2: Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every 'green' feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

~~~~~

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville, Tennessee; it is the abode of the environmentalist Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas; it is the residence the of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

An 'inconvenient truth. ' Who'da thunk it?

ANNOUNCEMENT: Lucy lives for your blogs and comments. You beautiful, faithful people know who you are. I feel so guilty when I don't respond to your comments but please know I would if I could. Thankfully elderdom has diminished only my body and not my curiousity and sense of humor---and especially of the ironic. Having an aging body is a drag but one hand still works and I continue to move my mouse and handwrite the occasional blog for my dear and very busy DIL Carole to type. I, like many of my elder kindred, keep interested and alert because you keep coming back to see me. I'm making a video to tell you up-close and personally but I have to get my hair and nails done first. Much love to you all.

Women Then and Now

What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you make a conscious decision, work for and eventually achieve that goal? If you, like me are a woman born in the first quarter of the 20th century, I'd wager your answer would be a resounding, "Heck, No!"

The occupations open and acceptable to young women of my class and generation were service-oriented and circumscribed: one could be a teacher (probably not an administrator), a nurse (seldom a doctor), a secretary (hardly ever an executive) or a beautician who most likely didn't own a business any bigger than a shop in the back of her home.

As a Depression-era young woman I had no greater dream than escaping my parents' home---by whatever means. I didn't see myself or my future in terms of personal success and fulfillment. I only hoped to live a bit better than I had when I was growing up. I was never forward-thinking in terms of my own development. I just wanted to survive.

Despite being significantly overweight and under-educated I married thanks to propinquity and circumstance. During that marriage and due to necessity, I went to work in a menial position for a major corporation. After the war, political and social developments allowed me to rise to a point in my career I'd never imagined. But I worked very hard---my family depended on me. I retired successful and respected. However, to this day it's actually, still in my mind at least, all about surviving.

Flash forward to 2008. My granddaughter Sarah has just returned from a medical mission to the Philippines. She assisted in and performed over 600 surgical procedures in 12 very long days. She went on this mission in addition to working full-time at the Manhattan Hospital for Special Surgery AND attending school full time.

Sarah is 27 years old and has traveled throughout the world---at her own expense. She currently lives a few blocks from Central Park in NYC and has a well-educated and successful "significant other"---but feels no pressure to make it permanent as she says she isn't sure what she wants to do next.

Oh, what a difference! Sarah works just as hard (or even harder) than I did at her age, but she isn't doing it to simply to survive. She's trying to make a difference in the world---because believes she can. She isn't worried about where her next meal is coming from or whether she should marry to ensure her future. She's secure. Her parents and I will take care of any dire emergency. Sarah doesn't need to hook up with a partner she doesn't feel completely committed to. She can devote herself to trying to make the world a better place and herself a better person.

Lucky her. I so very much want to believe I would have done the same...but at least I can help her make these good things happen now...and believe I've done the very best I could with what I've been given.

86 and Kickin'

Here's pic of my birthday brunch last weekend. Our dear friends from Gunnison surprised me with homemade lox---simply out of this world, an assortment of fresh bagels. capers, sliced veggies and yummy cream cheese.
Wish you could have been here for the party!