Peace...

This is my 55. No fillers/few filters...

My life right now/life is good...

My life right now--I have a 15 pound gray cat curled up at my feet, a stout Beagle snoring on the couch, a 20 something son drinking rose wine as he says he's completing a college assignment. My 55th birthday is just 6 days away but my mind, body & spirit are in a good place. Life is good.

The pragmatist/a pine box...

With the recent death of Billy Graham, I’ve been thinking about what happens when you die.  Not really in that deep, philosophical way of where you go, but what process do you choose or is chosen for you?  Are you laid to rest in an ornate coffin with friends and family weeping over you? Are you cremated with your ashes thrown in the ocean or left sitting in an attractive urn on your family’s mantel? 

My Grandpa Reed was a no-nonsense man. He was a pragmatist. He was of Dutch ancestry and lived his life in a straight forward path, never veering off that because that was not what a good man did.  My Grandpa was the kindest and most intelligent man I’ve known.  He was, however, a true pragmatist.  When my mother was a young girl she had the usual curiosity of a child of that age. One day she asked my Grandpa what happens when you die.  I’m uncertain if she meant, “Is there a Heaven or a Hell and what do you do or not do to get there?” Regardless, this was his reply: “I think they just throw you in a pine box.”  Always the pragmatist…

Crisp white sheets...

I bought new white sheets today.  They are plain white with no lace or adornments.  I’ll wash them until they are exquisitely soft. I’ll then dabble some lavender essence on them and place them on my bed on March 20^th, the 1^st day of Spring.  

Since entering adulthood, these pristine white sheets have been a rite of passage to usher in the awakening of Springtime.  I love the crisp softness of them on my skin at night.  I love the mild yet sweet lavender scent. It reminds me of those endless fields of purple I first saw in Provence, France at 18. That place which denotes an eternal Spring.   

Salami/red onion pizza & Imperial beer…

I was at my neighborhood pizza place tonight picking up my favorite—salami/crispy red onion, thin crust.  Light on the sauce so that you can easily taste the melding of the toppings. There’s nothing quite as satisfying, as salty and savory as this combination on a cracker thin crust.  I first had salami/red onion pizza in, of all places, Playa Conchal on the Guanacaste coast of Costa Rica.  It was quite late as we had arrived in San Jose and had driven several hours to our resort.  The air was heavily humid as we were near the beach and there was a slight breeze, so salty you could taste it and feel it on your skin.

We were ravenous and wanted nothing more than a good meal and a good drink. After wandering around the nearly deserted row of bars and eateries, we found a cantina which was still open despite the late hour. Their house specialty was my first exposure to this crusty, salty salami & red onion goodness.  We had this pizza with Cerveza Imperial (the national beer of Costa Rica).  The bottles were so cold they were nearly frozen and melted in our warm hands.  Admittedly, I am not typically a beer drinker, but on this late night in this humid coastal town in a foreign land, I had never tasted anything as delicious as an Imperial and this pizza.  As we ate and drank I noticed that there were Iguanas climbing the walls of this patio bar. I, to this day do not know if it was because of the fatigue from traveling, the heat, the hunger, the lateness of night, the 3 cold beers I had back to back or a combination of the above, but I swear these Iguanas were at least 4 feet in length.  I later read that these green Iguanas are, although slightly off putting to us tourists, a desired component of the Costa Rican ecosystem in that eat a variety of insects and spiders.

This balmy, salty late night in Central America with my family, a few ice-cold beers, the salami/red onion pizza on a crispy crust (and yes, even the enormous Iguanas) are the stuff of dreams.

Humpty Dumpty...

After a lengthy discussion with my primary care physician, an x-ray, an MRI and an EMG, I met with a neurosurgeon. He told me it is imperative I have 2 neck surgeries to repair 3 cervical disks in my neck due to degenerative disk disease. I told him that I couldn’t do it as I had too much to do; too much life to live.  He replied that much like Humpty Dumpty, he’d put me back together again. 

i let go and found myself...

vivere ogni giorno (live every day)...

This morning I heard from a good friend whom I met when in 

Rome this fall. He reminded me to "vivere ogni giorno" 

which translates into “live every day". Live every day. 

To achieve these things is not always an easy path, but it is very much worth it...

Quentin petitioned for graduation today from the University of Houston.  After this semester and 3 classes this summer, he’ll have his capstone project in the fall. He’ll be completing the program and graduate with his Bachelor’s in Business Administration with 9 credit hours towards him MBA.  When he spoke to me a few years ago about changing his major and wanting to attend the University of Houston 5-year business program he was concerned about the cost.  I told him that his job was to be accepted into the program and to dedicate himself to earning good grades.  My job was to support him both emotionally and financially.  Due to some investigative efforts and a bit of luck, I was able to obtain grants for him and supplement the cost of his program so that he would be debt free upon graduation. 

We’ve both made sacrifices to invest in his future.  We’ve lived in a modest apartment, we remained a 1 car family and delayed things we wanted for things we needed.  It’s been worth it though as he’s graduating magna cum laud and intends to either work in the federal sector (military and/or immigration & customs). This is to say that it’s important to dedicate your time and efforts to an end goal. To achieve these things is not always an easy path, but it is very much worth it.  I think Q would agree.  

These are the things that matter...

I was thinking back on my trip to Europe today. One thing that struck me was the beautiful postcard which was Italy. The experience that stuck me was my son who, on an overcrowded bus in Rome, asked an elderly woman if she would like his seat. She smiled and gratefully sat down. These are the things that I remember. These are the things that matter.