Hi

Its been a few days since I had time to stop in. Last week was busy with boot camp (been scratched from game plan after what happened Saturday night), church events, activities after work and well time was not really there to sit, stop, think and digest. Then of course the back fell to pieces after mass Saturday night and I ended up with a needle injecting steroid into spine this afternoon and super muscle relaxers to take at night.

But between those got to spend time at the Jennings out in Weatherford and really get to know Rebecca's mom and dad more. Plus Nick's sister and daughter came by and of course my wonderful friend Sarah was there with little Eve and Bruce. Good food, great company and the pain meds took the edge off plus the weather was overcast with a breeze so it was wonderful sitting out in the garden on the patio for a few hours in the afternoon. So all in all an adventurous week.

Any plans for this week have been put on hold and I am just taking it all one day at a time right now. Hope you all had a great Easter.

Aloha.

Today ...

... is removed from yesterday. Yesterday from last week. This is all good.

I ran out of steam last week. My mother was very very ill last week. I was sent to the tipping point or maybe boiling point by that one department that we all tense up when we are called to one of their meetings ... and I am not speaking about finance. Oh .. and on that matter I was way over budget at the beginning of the week, figured out why and corrected so I was under and then by the end of week invoices rolled in that made me just resign myself to stamping and sending to the accounting department.

But that was then. Saturday I fixed my computer and did some chores, some that I maybe should not have done yet but they needed to happen. I just don't heal as quickly as I used to. I think all of us who age are like that. I watched a couple of thought provoking movies after talking to my mother. She was home alone on Saturday and was still not well but feeling much better. High fevers through the week and she jokingly (but seriously) says that she is told she said things but it was all in her state of delirium.

I turned off work emails for the weekend and missed pretty much all calls. Spent the Sunday on the water and that was a nice break. So I am a little bit rosy today but hey we only live once.

We are here, and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine. ~ H.L. Mencken

This week is more of the same but I took an hour today to listen to Yeol Eum Son who was the 2009 Silver Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist. I need to do something, although I know not what, for the Lupus Walk this Saturday. I cannot put in any money as with all that has happened this year my money has had to go elsewhere and even though I feel horrible about the fact that I was so motivated at the end of last year life stumbled and I fell with it ... I have to accept this and move on. I can offer my support and that is it.

So when you get all tumbled up in yesterday ... take a time out. Sit on a bench in solitude or with a good friend, a family member or holding hands and resting your head on the shoulder of a loved one. Let that moment of peace take away that tumbling whirling mess and clarity will come. Try it.

Live ... learn ... live some more.

It is not the length of life, but depth of life. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good Weekend

These are the tiniest gems no bigger than my thumb and came direct from my mother's backyard orchard. I came home with grapefruit, clementines, oranges and these .. a true citrus fest.

It was a good weekend. A little slow of a start Friday morning but then settled into a low pressure two days spent with the family. My brother came out of his school mode for a while, my other bro and sis took mum, dad and I to a Mongolian cafe where, outside of it being so noisy I could not hear people next to me talking, I was able to design one of the hottest (spice wise) meals I have ever eaten. Loved it.

Then a little no pressure for me shopping on Saturday morning and eventually the four men in the family (hmmm three brothers and my dad - yep that is four) laying the first layer of flooring of the storage shed while the wind changed direction and that northerly front moved in. A quiet drive home. Three loads of laundry and now am back to my work week.

All in all a good weekend.

Quick eats

Soybeans and quick garlic shrimp ... almost equal amounts garlic and shrimp. I have missed cooking and I am thoroughly enjoying doing more of it. 15 minutes tops for dinner.

Peace.