Time Goes By....

Sunset at the Mackinac Bridge

I've been missing this place. Since my last post back in May, (surely it can't be that long ago) a lot has happened in my life. Some great, some good, some gladness, some sadness. I began this blog in May of 2011 when my sweetie was still home with me and I was desperate to find an outlet for creativity. I had found a new passion, photography that was a "hobby" that my sweetie could be with me by my side as I began to hone my photography skills.  I began using flickr as my "go-to" for posting my pictures a year earlier, but somehow I felt the need to write more, post more....thus the beginnings of this blog. After I settled my sweetheart in bed for the night, I would open my laptop and begin writing. It was tranquilizing after a day of dealing with the devastation of Alzheimer's. I purposefully didn't want my blog to be about my struggles or about my sweetie's illness. I focused on the beauty around me and it's here that I found peace.

Shaker Town near Lexington, KY

This blog gave me that outlet that I needed, and I posted almost daily for several years. Then I began to let my posting slide, I began to skip short periods of time, then long periods of time, now so irregular that I will be surprised if anybody finds this. Blogging has become almost a thing of the past, Instagram has taken over. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to express feelings on Instagram. And I'm sure not crazy about ranting and whining on Facebook. My soul hurts from all the negatives that are posted on Facebook. We've had so much sadness and devastation in our lives recently that some days scrolling thru social media becomes a burden. Yes, I do agree that it's a good platform for keeping in touch with friends and family, but so much more has filtered thru.

Sunrise in Door County over Lake Michigan

Oh my, when I began writing this post, I didn't realize that I would get off track with social media. Now, back on track....I've traveled quite a bit since early spring going to Mackinaw, Michigan, Lexington, Ky, Door County, WI, Santa Fe, NM and finally to Gunnison, CO. Ofcourse having my camera always attached to my body.

North of Santa Fe, NM

While I was on my last trip to Colorado for a week-long photography workshop I received a call from my daughter that my sweetie had been admitted to the hospital with a UTI.  He has had a handful of these attacks since he has been in a care facility, always responding to the medication and after about 3 days in the hospital he returns to his residence. Not this time, he developed a serious infection and there were few options. Prayerfully and with a great deal of thought, I made the choice to place him under Hospice Care, knowing that his quality of life was not what he would want for himself. With all in agreement that this was the right choice, my sweetie passed in no pain with his family by his side on Thursday, Sept 21st. There were many tears shed that night, a lot of hugs and a beautiful prayer and blessing from the hospital chaplain. As we were leaving the hospital the night nurses that had cared for him earlier in the week came to us, also with tears in their eyes and gentle hugs for our loss. 

Santa Fe National Cemetery 

I took this image above less than a week before my sweetie died, not knowing that within a few days I would be making the decision for his ashes to be buried at a cemetery similar to this one with a gravestone like the ones above.  My faith, my family and my friends were there for me when I needed them the most.  I am at peace with my decision knowing that he is resting in God's hands, whole again and without any pain. Fifty-three years of marriage to a wonderful man.

Until next time.....

Chin Draggin'...Not a Pretty Sight

Yesterday we had another good sized snowstorm and depending on where you live in the Chicago area it snowed anywhere from 2-9 inches.  We were at the low end of that range with only about 2 1/2 inches totaled, but it was a good snow.  Good in the fact that it was wet, the kind that sticks to trees and makes everything look beautiful, but on the other hand, the kind that causes heart attacks in some while shoveling the heavy stuff.  So if you have young strapping boys shoveling your driveway it was good, bad if you are stuck with shoveling the white stuff yourself.

And yesterday was the day to go out and take pictures, but the roads were too dangerous so I stood on the front porch, such an adventurer I am.  But today after Bible Study I meandered on the way home, stopping here and there and capturing some of that beauty.  It was the kind of snow that made good snowmen....I thought he was kinda funny with his pine cone eyes and pine needle hair, clever use of availability.

Before I left this morning, I snapped this pic of the beautiful pine tree across the street from my house.

We are in the middle of a study on Ruth in our Wednesday Bible Class and this week our discussion was about how God is omnipresent in our lives....always there, knowing us while we were melding our bones together in our mother's womb before we were born, guiding us, loving us forever.  As I left church I stopped less than a block away and captured this.  It spoke to me of God's omnipresence.  Even with the sometimes entanglements of darkness and starkness that can surround us, there is still His beacon that gives us the strength to carry us through the roughest times in our lives.

I think I am feeling a little melancholy today.  Do you ever get that way??  No reason, and I am too old to blame it on a "period" or even menopausal, too late for that too.  Maybe it's because there are several ladies in our Bible class that are having some major health issues, maybe it's because it's the end of February and the sun hasn't been shining that much lately, who knows.  I am usually pretty joyful, but ever once in awhile I fall off of the happy wagon.  This is one time I am grateful to live alone.   No one around to see my chin dragging, it's not a pretty sight.

Linking up with Madge's Rurality today.  I thought the above pic look fairly rural, altho it is right in the middle of the next town over from me.  The suburbs around here do a darn good job of leaving lots of open spaces and forest preserves, so if you are feeling a little hemmed in, all you have to do is drive a short distance and that city-feel is quickly gone. 

"When God solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities."  

Until next time....

Thoughts on Rosh Hashanah and a few Pics

Since I wasn't successful yesterday at the Dr.'s office, I tried again today.  As I walked in the door, I was greeted by 2 of the office staff and the nurse.  If I hadn't been a patient there for too many years to reveal, I would never have guessed that the blue-jeaned lady with a mouthful of celery was the nurse.  The office was officially closed, eventho the door was open, due to Dr. Weinburg's Jewish faith.  She was not there and would not return until tomorrow because of the holy holiday,  Rosh Hashanah. Cindy, the nurse, was able to fill my prescriptions (yeeha!) and set me up for a physical in October. (ugh!).

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated from sundown yesterday until sundown this evening. In the Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the completion of the creation of the world and is the beginning of the Jewish High Holy, followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the "day of atonement."  Rosh Hashanah is the "day of judgment," and it is believed that God opens the Book of Life on this day and begins to decide who shall live and who shall die. The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are viewed as an opportunity for Jews to repent and ensure a good fate.

I really am very unfamiliar with the Jewish traditions but reading about Rosh Hashanah being the day of judgement and that God opens his book and begins to determine who stays and who goes, and then gives the Jewish faithful an opportunity to save themselves sounds like something that would interest me.

As a Christian we are taught to be prepared at all times, but I gotta admit there are some days this kid just isn't ready and certainly not prepared.  My thoughts aren't always pure, haven't done a good deed in awhile, didn't attend church last Sunday, passed by the man on the corner collecting money for a good cause, keep falling asleep during my night-time prayers.  If my calling is coming, I am in big trouble.  Now if I knew that judgement day was upon me, all those wrongs would now be rights.  But that's not what our Christian faith is about, we should be doing those rights all along, not waiting until someone says, oops, better right those wrongs or you are not up for re-newal.  I have opportunities every day to do "rights" and I truly do try to not do the "wrongs", but sometimes I slip.  As a Christian I know that when I slip, there is forgiveness and an opportunity to try again. 

A common greeting on Rosh Hashanah is shana tovah u'metukah, Hebrew for "a good and sweet new year".   So to all those of the Jewish faith "shana tovah u'metukah" and may God bless you all.

It is raining again today, so my outdoor shooting was really limited.  Took this from the car window.

The softness of these colors make me swoon....

Loved the texture on top of this already textured leaf, texture courtesy of Kim Klassen. 

Hope your Thursday was like a truffle among the toadstools.....

"Don't run through life so fast that you forget where you've been and lose where you're going.  Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored every step of the way."  ~  Kobi Yamada

Until next time........