Yesterday was my tough day.  It marked mom’s 4th year of physically leaving me.  I thought it gets easier with time, but apparently, it doesn’t.  It hits you hard when you don’t even expect it.  For me, it was 3 am, and I was up and reminiscing, crying and missing mom.  Mom was full of life and energy.  I miss sharing a laugh with her among so many other things.

These are a few special moments we shared together in Dunedin.  I hope I look just like her and sing like her when I’m in my 80’s.  She looks marvelous!

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This quaint neighborhood, Crystal Beach, is tucked away west of Palm Harbor bordering the St. Joseph Sound.  It’s full of one-of-a-kind homes ranging from bungalows, old Florida homes, McMansions and mountain-looking homes.  No two houses are the same which gives it that small town charm.

The neighborhood park is full of gigantic oaks with twisting branches and big blue eyes staring at you.  We were lucky to experience the horse and buggy rides around the park.  What a treat!

Today was reminiscent of new discoveries and family Sunday drives.  The kind that make you feel all warm and fuzzy.  I miss Sunday drives with mom and dad.

Enjoy your day of rest!

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You don’t have to wait for the New Year to make resolutions.  I am moved to make a resolution as I experience the need to do so right away.  As a society, we put too much pressure on ourselves to make resolutions on January 1.  That’s silly!

Be strong with your purpose, intent, desire and decisions everyday.  Don’t put it off for the new year.  Who cares what other people think?  You have to be happy with the decisions you make for yourself and take pride in your daily choices.  If you have the will to make it happen, then everything will fall in place.

As the sun goes down every night, I reflect on my day and hope to make the next one an even better one.

Peace.

I know it’s going to be a great day when I am greeted by these two adorable and loving pets – Gretta and Luna.  Joy!

I am a firm believer in listening to your body.  It’s the best medicine.  We don’t pay enough attention to our bodies and we ignore what it’s telling us.  Our bodies are very aware beings controlled by a fascinating brain.  Let’s take the time and be better listeners.

Yesterday, I had a very sudden painful onset of an earache in my right ear.   Yes, it’s the same ear that was stricken with those nasty displaced crystals.  It was painful to the touch and my ear felt like it was about to deliver a baby.   The pain went to a serious 8 very quickly as I drove myself to the urgent care.  It hurt so bad.

I called Sean and he met me at the clinic.  Lucky for me,  I was taken back to the exam room within minutes.  I described the pain to Sean as he tried to touch my ear.  Are you kidding me?  He says, “It looks like you have a bump.”  He knows better.  I immediately burst out in tears as I imagined a tumor growing at exponential speed.  The tears soaked my face as I let out primal cries.  Then, the pain disappeared.  Really, poof!

The nice doctor came in and I said, “You fixed me.”  He looked in my ear and said I had a perfect ear!”

The power of crying!  When someone says, “Don’t cry.”  I suggest you don’t listen to them and listen to your body.  Let it all out and cry like a baby.  It works!

I never liked cats and now I live with a darn, cute cat.  That’s why I told and tell my kids to “never say never.”  Samantha’s cat, Luna, is a special addition to our family.  Just ask Gretta; she loves Luna.  Actually, it’s the other way around.  Luna adores Gretta and Gretta just tolerates her antics in her “chill” way about her.  Every once in awhile, Gretta will let out a groan or even a bark, which tells us she’s had enough.  If you know Gretta, she’s only barked a handful of times in her 13 years with us.

I love Luna and her lunatic ways.  Samantha really adores Luna and Luna loves her back.  It’s a beautiful thing!

Things in life surprise us everyday.   I have a newfound relationship with Luna.  Um, excuse me Luna, can I brush my teeth?

Challenge yourself and make new friends everyday (furry friends are the best).

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It’s so nice to have a special day to celebrate our moms.  There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think of my mom.  There are many reminders of the times we shared together.  My brother and I honored mom today at dim sum – our family gathering tradition for special occasions.  There were many other families waiting to get a table and share delicious “pork inside” morsels with their loved ones.  As we waited outside, we heard a very familiar voice talking in a distinctive accent.  It sounded just like mom.  My brother and I both looked at each other.  There was a woman talking to her family in a Trinidadian accent.  I asked her if she was from Trinidad, and she said “yes.”  Trinis are everywhere; Mom is everywhere.

After lunch, we went to visit Auntie Lena to share our love with her.  She’s 92 years old, looks marvelous and eats for two.  I don’t know where she puts it.  While I’m there, I like to talk to the ladies in the independent living section.  I decided to sit down with two nice ladies and strike up a conversation.  I like to listen to their stories and have shareable moments.  These two ladies were meant for me.  One was named Noreen and the other was named Joan.  Of course, Noreen similar to Laureen, and Joan was my mom’s name.  Is this a coincidence?  I like to think it was a meaningful connection.  They were amazed at the coincidence and the weirdness of it.  Not me!

Last hooray for the day was a sunset beach outing  with Samantha and Ely.  A lovely cool breeze and warm swim in the ocean.   We dropped my new avocado dancing towel on the beach and made our way into the ocean.  It was refreshing!  It was a little chilly in our wet bathing suits and the thought of wrapping in our towel was comforting.  Come to find out that our towel was gone!  You gotta be kidding me.  Someone stole our avocado towel and ran off nowhere to be found.  Such a disappointment to a fabulous day.  Next time I see my towel on the beach, there will be an exchange of words with the towel thief!

America is Great!

If you need a reminder of our greatness, visit DC in the Spring.  Wow!  Beautiful green trees, blossoming flowers, flocks of kids on field trips, richness, delicious food, diversity and mostly, history.  Lots of it!

There were so many wonderful parts of our weekend get-a-way.  The best, as always, were the people and the connection we made with two special people – a woman who recently lost her husband and her older brother.  We dined at arms length next to them at Barcelona, a hip, vibrant tapas restaurante.  It was delicious!  It was meant to be because we were the elders in the attractive and fit crowd.  Needless to say, we stuck out like sore thumbs – old and less fit.  We had nice conversations where we shared some life experiences and my desire to sing at a Karaoke bar.  Yes, they were in and we all did it!  They were so accommodating and fun.  It was a night and into the early morning to remember.   I know what you’re thinking.  Yup, I had a nap to prepare for the evening.  The next night, they invited us out to a late dinner, but we couldn’t make it.  Who knew we would make friends in DC?

That’s what makes America great!  Freedom to choose who I want to talk to, what I want to wear, where I want to go, what I want to eat and what I want to do in a beautiful, safe city, our nation’s capital.