I've Just One Wish

Greeting cards have all been sent,
The Christmas rush is through;
But I still have one wish to make,
A special one for you.

As I listen to the Carpenters sing this holiday song, I think of two very special people in my life that I cannot be with on Christmas this year: my mother Jane and my son Eric.

My parents both made Christmas a very special day for our family every year.  I remember Mom doing lots of Christmas baking - including her famous gum drop bread - and lots of Christmas decorating throughout the house.  As I grew older, I realized there was also a funny story about Mom hiding Christmas gifts.  Once Christmas Eve arrived, and it was time to put them under the tree, she couldn't remember where she had hidden them!  

Mom also sent many Christmas cards every year and kept track of all those received.  I was always impressed that she had a few friends she exchanged cards with every year - women she had known since they were all in grade school.  Mom now lives in an elder care facility for those with dementia, and this will be the first Christmas she cannot leave to spend the day with us.  Of course, we are visiting her throughout the holiday season, but she will not be with us for our family celebration.

My son Eric was a big part of my Christmas for 25 years - until he decided to move to North Carolina to be with his sweetheart whom he eventually married on December 1, 2000.  I miss our times together, especially a few Christmases in the Seattle area when the two of us were the only family we had to celebrate with.  We always made an effort to pick out appropriate gifts and filled a Christmas stocking for each other.  I miss my grown-up boy every day, but even more so during the holidays.

So, as the weekend begins tonight:

I've just one wish on this Christmas Eve;
I wish I were with you . . . I wish I were with you.

It's Cold Outside!

The recent cold weather in the Portland area has made me appreciate the shelter of my apartment and the warmth of stores and other buildings I visit.  Sweaters and sweatshirts, extra blankets, hot drinks - these are things that I can do without for much of the year.  But, right now, that extra sweatshirt or hot coffee is more than welcome.

On December 1, I started a practice of writing down at least two things I am thankful for every day. After reading about someone who had listed 50 things she is grateful for - I just took her idea and developed it into a pre-Christmas ritual.  If I record at least two things every day until December 25, I will have a list of 50 (or more) things for which I am thankful.

While I won't be sharing my entire list in this blog, I want to share two things I am grateful for today:

(1) Cold Weather:  I am grateful for the cold weather because it reminds me of how wonderful it is to have warm coats, warm blankets, and home heating.  The cold weather provides a contrast to the warmth that these and many other blessings provide.

(2) Hot Eggnog Lattes:  Every year I look forward to the days between Thanksgiving and New Year's as "eggnog latte season."  Whether purchased at the local Starbucks or made up in my own kitchen, this fragrant and delicious beverage is one of my favorite things about the holiday season.  

What are you grateful for today?

Still Autumn

I know that tomorrow is December 1st, but officially it's still Autumn.  As I walked through the multi-colored leaves to my mailbox this evening, I was reminded the season doesn't end for a few more weeks.

When driving to see my mother last Thursday, and when I took another short trip on Sunday, I noticed the colors of the trees even in the rainy weather.  There is still an abundance of falling leaves even as the holiday decorations go up.

In Amy Sorensen's blog, The English Geek, (http://amysorensen.typepad.com/the_english_geek/) she shared a poem today. I found it beautiful and timely in spite of its title.

October

by Carolyn Smart

Those fallen leaves, pale supplicants,
have much to teach us of surrender,
how, wrapped in autumn's incense
they unfurl their flags to the wind
Every year I want to kneel in damp soil
and say farewell to blessed things:
the swift geese as they shout each to each
above the treetops, the white nicotinia
at my door, still releasing its fragrance
against the chill of evening,
the memory of a much-loved hand the last day I held it
There was early morning light rich as silk,
the flash of late fireflies
amidst the cedar,
cows' tails whisking in the amber fields,
the chiaroscuro of a moth's wing
Goodbye, brief lives,
ablaze with tenderness;
today the glory of the leaves
is enough, for I am learning anew
to release all I cannot hold,
these moments of luminous grace
saying Here and here is beauty,
here grief: this is the way to come home

PS:  If you haven't already done so, take a few minutes to check out the video at www.autumnblessingsmovie.com/.

November 22

Every year, I remember. I look at a calendar, I write a date on a check, I hear someone talking about preparations for Thanksgiving, and I remember Friday, November 22, 1963.

What did I do that morning?  I assume I got up, got ready for school, and attended my morning classes at Highland View Junior High School.  What did I do at lunch time? I went through the cafeteria line and picked up my light green plastic tray. The entree section was filled with fish sticks and potatoes. I sat with friends to eat my lunch. As I ate, the principal's voice came over the loudspeaker, "The president has been murdered."

I didn't know it then, but my life changed forever that day. The shock that our president, the first man ever elected to that office in my young memory, had been shot and killed was my initiation into that collective experience which happens when tragedy strikes our nation.

Whether our first experience with collective tragedy was an attack such as Pearl Harbor or 9/11, whether it was an individual death such as JFK's assassination, I see that these are times that Americans come together. These events may affect us in different ways to varying degrees, but we all share in the experience.

Today, Aunt Sandi says:

• Even in the remembrance of sad events, there is something for me to be thankful for. I am thankful whenever I see Americans coming together to help each other through difficult times. I am thankful for the compassion and strength that lifts us up and gives us hope even in distressing circumstances. 
• Advertisers have been intent on turning our focus to holiday shopping since before Halloween. Even so, Friday probably will be one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Take your own tote bags to reduce waste, take only one debit/credit card (or cash) to control spending, and take a list to help resist impulse buying of unnecessary "stuff." 
• Holiday times often mean more dirty dishes. What is the most energy efficient way to wash dishes? The results of a study comparing alternate methods of hand washing dishes - as well as the use of automatic dishwashers both old and new - can be found at switch.portlandgeneral.com. 

That's what Aunt Sandi says. What do you say?

High Shoals Falls

Having just returned from a week with my son Eric and daughter-in-law Sharon in North Carolina, I want to share some photos of High Shoals Falls in South Mountain State Park.  Eric suggested this trip, emphasizing the falls were only a one-mile hike from the parking lot.  It started beautifully; the first half was a wide and level path covered with autumn leaves as in this photo (courtesy of springnbloom's photostream at www.flickr.com). 

The second half progressed to steps built for easy climbing interspersed with portions of rocky trail requiring surefootedness and a good sense of balance - as this photo from markhinkle's photostream at www.flickr.com shows.  (Note: click on photos to see more detail on larger images.)  

Finally, we reached the lower portion of the Falls (photo found at www.ncwaterfalls.com). The top portion of the Falls, barely visible in the upper left corner of this photo required an additional uphill trek - we decided to leave it for another day.

The two miles we did complete - about half comprised of climbing stairs and navigating over and around rocks - left me tired and shaky.  But, after being ill most of the summer, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.


Many thanks to Eric for his encouragement and patience.  He was literally a shoulder to lean on when I wasn't sure I could go another step on the uneven terrain.  With my slow pace, I definitely resembled a tortoise rather than a hare but found that slow and steady made me feel like a winner.

October Afternoon

The beauty that shimmers in the yellow afternoons of October, who could ever clutch it?  (Emerson)

The bright sunshine this October afternoon seems to highlight the already vivid autumn colors.  I recall these photos I took in October of 2010 as well as some favorite autumn quotations. (Note: click on photos to see more detail on larger images.)  

There is no such season when such pleasant and sunny spots can be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.  (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves. 

We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!

(Humbert Wolfe)

A Dream That Took Decades

On my recent trip to California, I took advantage of the opportunity to ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, traveling to an elevation of 8,516 feet up the cliffs of Chino Canyon in Mt. San Jacinto State Park.  While the desert vistas spread for miles below me, I was intrigued by the story of the man who dreamed of the Tramway over 75 years ago.

The Aerial Tramway was born in the mind of Francis Crocker, a young electrical engineer, in 1935 while on a trip to Banning, California.  Although some were quite enthusiastic about his idea, others were more skeptical.  Progress on the Tramway was slow, sometimes even at a standstill.  Tramway bills in the California legislature were passed, then vetoed by the governor.  World War II and the Korean conflict significantly delayed the project.

Over the years, Crocker's dream did not diminish; he held his vision of a Tramway rising above the hot desert lands to the coolness of the San Jacinto mountains.  Eventually, the plans were developed and the unique engineering problems solved.  No public funds were used; money was raised by selling bonds.  Because only the first tower supporting the Tramway was accessible by road, helicopters flew thousands of trips to transport men and materials needed to erect the four other towers and the Mountain Station.  Formerly called "Crocker's Folly," the Tramway was now named the "eighth wonder of the world."

Construction was finally completed, and the first riders boarded the Tramway on September 14, 1963. Crocker had waited 28 years to see his dream become a reality.  Because of his persistence and dedication, I was able to ride the world's largest rotating tram cars, rising thousands of feet in just minutes, to enjoy the view from a very "cool" setting.  For more information, go to http://www.pstramway.com/history.html 

Starting

Saturday, October 8, was the official end of my sixtieth year and the beginning of the sixty-first year of my life.  My plans for the coming year (not to mention the coming decade) are still rather unclear.  What I do know is that I intend to continue writing and that some of that writing will be in the form of a blog.

Today, Aunt Sandi says:

(NOTE:  Click on photos to see more detail on larger images!)

• The weather is above 80 degrees in Palm Springs in October, but the 10-minute aerial tramway ride takes people to 8500 feet above sea level and to cooler temperatures.  And, the view is spectacular! 
• With almost 10 percent unemployment, it makes no sense that President Obama's jobs bill was defeated in Congress, while no one came up with a better plan to put Americans back to work (although Senate Republicans are now putting something together - what were they waiting for?)
• The holidays are just a little over two months away.  It's time to think about what holiday traditions to keep and what to let go.  How many holiday goodies are worth the cost and the calories?  How many gifts does it take to show someone I love and care about them?  How much energy (my own effort + my electric bill) do I want to spend on holiday lighting?  Observing the holidays is good; overdoing the holidays is not. 

That's what Aunt Sandi says.  What do you say?

My Blogging Anniversary

One year ago today I started my very first blog.  I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it, but I did it.  I blogged for twelve months (and over 90 entries).  I wrote text; I added photos to some of the entries; I learned some very basic things about setting up and keeping up a blog.

My first blog was intended to be a one-year project.  As I finish it up, I am creating this new blog.  I don't know exactly where it will go, but I do know it will be one step at a time.