Celebrating 59 Years – Congratulations Mom and Dad!

This year Memorial Day was celebrated on the last Monday in May.

Fifty-nine years ago, Memorial Day was on a Saturday.

My father was on leave from the military.

The date was May 30, 1953.

The day my parents were married.

The maid of honor was my mother’s best friend, Rae.

The best man was my father’s brother, my Uncle Lupe.

They made a lovely wedding party. 

Don’t you agree?

It’s time to CELEBRATE!

Happy 59th Anniversary!

Congratulations Mom and Dad!

With much love from “all of us.”

May 30, 2012

Easter – Rejoice!

As I’ve previously written, there I’ve experienced many facets of  Easter.

  For me, Easter is a spiritual day to reflect on God’s great love for his people; a day that Christians around the world celebrate as their most sacred day, the day of Jesus’ resurrection.

My personal expression of Easter is best demonstrated in song.

Exultet, the Easter Proclamation is a centuries old prayer telling of God’s love throughout all of history, calling on all creation to give praise for the resurrection.

It’s sung only once a year, during the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday.

I’ve been privileged several times to sing Exultet.  The first time I was in my twenties.

I was going through some personal struggles.  I hadn’t been active in music ministry for a time.

I attended Palm Sunday mass and was last in line for Communion. When I turned to go to my seat I heard the priest call my name.  He asked me to come see him after mass. I said okay.

When we met he said he had a request.

“Cathy, it’s the week before Easter and we don’t have anyone to sing the Easter Proclamation.  Will you do it?”

I was astonished…and he must have seen this.  How would I do this in a week?  …was I even worthy?

“I know you can do this…your voice will fill this church…will you come to the Rectory?  I’ll walk you through it.”

The following week I was privileged to sing this prayer for the first time.  It gave me an important lesson during difficult times. You see, the first word of Exultet is REJOICE! 

This is what we are called to do.

The last time I sang Exultet I once again faced struggles.

My special needs daughter had a number of medical issues. I had other personal concerns, too. In all, it was a difficult, exhausting time.

I rehearsed but was very distracted. How would I focus?

I contemplated one of its many lines.

Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people.

I thought of John, a wonderful young man who doesn’t speak.  He is vocal, however.  He sings in church with a groan that comes from deep within.  He inspired me.

Many people think special needs individuals like John and my daughter don’t have a voice.  This is so untrue. We often need to listen in a different way.

I thought, if every person everywhere sang like John we would hear the mighty song of all God’s people!

How would John sing this?  He would sing joyfully and allow the song to come forward freely.  I began to rehearse anew.

On the night of the Easter Vigil I voiced the ancient prayer that was being sung by cantors around the world.  A prayer that connects people through the ages.

Once again, I sang the word REJOICE!

Ever since then, during Lent I recall the Exultet. It comes naturally to me at this time of year.

I remember the call to rejoice!

Have a happy and blessed Easter!

Easter – The Day You Told Me You Had AIDS

The early 1990’s were a challenge.  At the end of 1990 and beginning of 1991 I was injured in two car accidents.  The first one wasn’t too bad, but I wasn’t fully recovered when the second, more severe accident happened.  Between those two accidents I was away from work for nine months.

It was Easter.  I was at my parent’s home.  After coming back from church my mom mentioned that she wanted to visit friends.  Honestly, I didn’t feel like visiting.  I often felt very tired.  Perhaps I was also feeling down because in the past I had been very active.  The injuries took that away from me. I was still adjusting.

We went to see our friends.  This was a family whose kids went to the same elementary school and church that we once attended.  Essentially we kids grew up together.

I hadn’t seen them in a few years.  Two of their three adult children, Jack and Diana, were there.

We spent time getting caught up.  Jack looked great.  He talked about taking care of himself.  When he said he’d been going to the gym I wasn’t surprised.  He looked fit.

We went outside on a beautiful spring day.

As we talked Jack told me very simply that he had AIDS.  He was focused on taking care of himself.  He was feeling alright but knew that could change at any time.   New drugs were being developed, but life expectancies at that time were only a few years after diagnosis.

When we said our good-byes we hugged each other tightly.  I kissed him on the cheek.

In 1993, Jack and I spoke before I moved to Northern California.  My body had reasonably recovered and I had a new job with my company.  We spoke very candidly.  When we said good-bye we both knew it was a real good-bye.  We were never going to see each other again in this life.

Jack was very talented. He had a great singing voice. He loved practical jokes and was quick-witted. In high school he helped me come out of my shell so that I had a part in a school play.  I couldn’t have done that without his encouragement.

In November of 1993 my mom called me to tell me Jack had died. Over the years I had sung at many funerals.  I sang for him, too, from the privacy of my apartment in Northern California.

Growing up, I saw Easter as a time to celebrate life and resurrection after the death brought by Good Friday. On that Easter Sunday, even though I had my own challenges, here was Jack living with a deadly disease.

It was probably the most unique Easter that I had ever experienced.  It was a profound time that still touches me to this day.

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This is my second post on the subject of Easter.  In case you didn’t see it, I also posted Easter Memories earlier today. I’ll finish this series tomorrow, on Easter Sunday.

Arranged – Part 2

Through my daughter’s eyes

Hello, everyone.  This is the continuation of the Weekly Photo Challenge “Arranged.”

As you saw in Part 1, my daughter puts together colorful combinations of objects.  Here are a few more arrangements that will bring you once again into my daughter’s world.

 

I am an M&M fiend!  Every so often my husband surprises me with treats. (A wise man, indeed!)  When I was done with these I gave the empty containers to Mija. 

This nest of M&M’s lies on top of one of her baby blankets.  I love the way the colors match! 

 

This little monkey lives on our couch. If he ever moves from his specific cushion she makes sure he is placed right back where he belongs. If anyone chooses to sit there, the little monkey can’t be too far away.

Recently Mija has begun covering him with a quilt. For some reason she doesn’t want to see him right now.  The funny thing is, if we took him away from the couch she would go look for him and bring him back!

 

 

Here is our table setting filled with circular shapes and several matching combinations.  There are two red flowers, two round candles, round white objects, red objects, and, red and green objects.

 

 

 

 

 

Of particular note is this candle.  It used to be a deep red.  It’s been sitting on the table near the window for several years, so it’s faded.  It’s a Christmas decoration that I received as a gift.  Even if it’s 10degrees outside the Christmas candle will be on the table because Mija loves it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my post called Teachers, I featured Ms. K.  She was Mija’s middle school teacher.  As much as we love our daughter’s creativity here at home we realize there are times when her drive to arrange needs to be managed.  Ms. K and I were commenting to each other how the classroom had to be Mija-proofed.

For example, if certain papers or objects in the classroom were left out and later put away, she would be driven to look for them so she could put them back where she first saw them.  As you might imagine there are times when this is not appropriate.  Desks and cabinets eventually had to be locked.  There were a few times when she put items away and they were not found for weeks!  While we chuckled about it, we also knew that my daughter could become obsessed and upset because the world is not in the order that she feels is correct.  Eventually she came to accept that certain items were not to be arranged…at least not by her.

Thank-you for visiting my daughter’s space.

I found it interesting that the topic “Arranged” occurred during Autism Awareness Day. 

I hope in some small way I’ve helped you become aware of a world that most people are not allowed to enter.

Arranged – Part 1

Through my Daughter’s Eyes

When I saw that the the Weekly Photo Challenge was Arranged, I knew I would be taking photos of my daughter’s space.

You may have heard that autistic individuals will arrange items till their heart’s are content, and once arranged, it’s difficult to break the pattern of said arrangement.

Well, my daughter is no different!  Mija takes great care to arrange items that most people, including me, would never think to group together.

The first photo is a blueback-scratcher, a green toy cup, a pink butterfly and a blue toy similar to a large Lego. To look at it in the span of the entire room, it may not make sense…but she see’s symmetry and color where we may overlook it…and she is not afraid to display it.

I get a big kick out of the next arrangement: a blue turtle, a pink, flowered rubber ducky, a little red cup and a blue-green wrist wallet that I can no longer seem to use when I want to go exercise!

They are arranged in a square-like setting with blues and reds along the diagonals.  Note how the items touch.  It makes sense until you take a step back and to really see the  entire arrangement in the next photo!

I have no idea why the Christmas elf is facedown and away from everything else in the room.  I’m sure Mija has her reasons…and I just laugh and wonder about the poor elf!

The last photo has a string of items where the outer rings are grouped as you might expect.  On the other end are two CD covers of with muppet characters.  In case you don’t recognize them they are from the Spanish-language version of Sesame Street known as Plaza Sesamo.

What fascinates me are the shiny party decorations that join both sets!  There are pastels to match the CD covers, and green stems to match the outer green ring.  Oh, yes…one more thing…did you see that  the colors from the rings are also contained in the CD covers? …an arrangement that I probably wouldn’t have done on my own!

When things are in disarray she may repeatedly say one of the few phrases that she speaks clearly, “No, it’s not!” as if she’s scolding her belongings.

Keeping items grouped together in the manner of her choosing makes my daughter happy, and calm. It’s a way for her to express herself.  Yes, she certainly has her limits, but in other ways she has insight into a world that most of us will find unfamiliar.

I hope you enjoyed my daughter’s arrangements as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you!

I took so many examples of my daughter’s arrangements, that I’ve decided this is part 1. Stay tuned for part 2 in the next day or so!

To see more pictures of my daughter’s space, see my post titled Peaceful.

Patience and a Cup of Tea

Hello everyone,

Today my post is a bit different from others.  It’s 6:16 am Central time.  I should have been out the door and on my way to the Birmingham Airport; I should be on my way home from a business trip.  Instead I’m on hold with my company’s after hour service for travel. My flight is delayed more than two hours, which means I will get to Houston after my connecting flight is already gone…ah well.  I’m glad I have my laptop in the hotel room so I could monitor this.

Last night was eventful…severe thunderstorms.  I was not in an area with tornadoes, but there were tornado watches through the night.  Howling winds…heavy rains…sirens…a constant rumble that was thunder in the distance.  At one time I was jarred awake by what sounded like an air raid siren in the distance.

My heart goes out to those whose lives have been changed by these events.  When I was in the office yesterday, the locals were nervous.  Last year a co-worker “lost everything” due to a tornado.  The memory of all they experienced was still very fresh.  I was appreciative of their hospitality and helpful hints.

In the meantime I’ve made a cup of tea.  I’m grateful for the pleasant, professional lady on the phone who is trying to assist me with travel arrangement.  She keeps coming back on the line to say she’s still there and trying to help me.

Interestingly enough, my laptop is new.  It’s a mini netbook that I was initially debating about buying.  In hindsight it’s already proved to be worth the purchase.  I’ve loaded quite a few free books onto Kindle, so I’m set as far as reading material.  I’ve been on Skype with Al a few times.  …and here I am able to blog more easily than with a cell phone.  I definitely need a keyboard!

If time permits I’ll post more about this through the day.

My tea is waiting for me, so I’m going to finish packing assorted sundry items…then I’ll just wait.

I suspect there will be many travelers today who will be tired and also experiencing delays.

Be safe everyone, wherever you are.

Patience is the word for the day.

“Down” Memory Lane

The WordPress theme was “Down.”   I mulled over this theme for a while.  I didn’t really have any photos that had to do with heights, or, with the emotions that occur when one is down.  I finally settled on taking a walk down memory lane.   I hope you enjoy my little stroll.

My parents met at a church youth group in Southern California in 1949. They were married in 1953 when my dad was on leave from Fort Ord, California.  He had just finished basic training. He was later stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict.

 

My mom’s parents lived with us about half of the year.  During the other half of the year they would visit family in Mexico. The trips to Mexico occurred regularly until my grandfather had a change in health and could no longer travel.

I was accustomed to having three generations in the household.  We used to say the family consisted of my parents, grandparents, six kids and a dog (or two).

    

I happen to be the fourth of the six of us. As you might imaging we had a very active family. Like any home we had our ups and downs. That being said it was generally noisy, hectic and happy.

When I was in high school someone gave me a very large postcard in honor of my family. It said: “Welcome to the House of Perpetual Commotion.”

It was perfect.   We displayed the postcard proudly for years.  Everyone who saw it agreed that it fit!

The photos below were taken on the last Thanksgiving that was spent in the house.  The family had grown to include daughters and sons-in-law plus grandkids.

The children in the last photo are grown.  Some of them now have children of their own.

I know this is just a small glimpse of my family and its history.   My walk down memory lane brought back a lot of fond memories.  I had a good laugh thinking about ideas for future stories.

I hope it also causes you to take  your own stroll and to recount times that you can remember fondly.

Regret – Maybe Not

The WordPress Topic of the week is Regret.  Admittedly, it wasn’t a topic I really wanted to pursue.  The way I see it, why look back?  No need to dwell on shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’.  I decided a while ago that it was more important to move forward than dwell on the past.  Always easier said than done, isn’t it?

A few years ago I made the decision to stop playing music.  When I say that I stopped playing, I don’t just mean that I stopped playing publicly; I stopped playing.  The music inside me went quiet.

Life was pretty hectic at the time. I needed to balance out a few things.  It was hard at first, but I knew it was the right decision.  No regrets.

I think there may be times when Al would want to hear me play music and sing a bit more.  I did pluck out a few songs recently as you can see in my Peaceful 2 post.  Perhaps the fact that I’ve mentioned this a couple of times in posts means it’s time to start exploring this again.  Hmmm…ya think?

I know I’ll enjoy reconnecting with old friends…a 12 string and a few six string acoustic guitars.  They’ve come along way with me.  We’ll make some rich sounds.  I suspect it won’t be too much longer.  I don’t have the tug to sing into a mike at the moment, at least not right now.  No regrets there, either!

Top photo – My sis’ wedding…was it really that long ago?

Bottom photo – A bit more recent.  Taking a break from rehearsing.

Peaceful – Follow-up

Last month I wrote a post called Peaceful.  I was appreciative and humbled by the replies; one from “Anonymous” stayed with me.  I mentioned I would follow up on a reply.  Due to a business trip and slight illness I hadn’t been able to complete that reply until now.

I hope Anonymous reads this.  Since the comments weren’t private, I’ll re-post portions here.

“… I ‘get’ the peace in this room. Oh man I get it. It’s inspiring and uplifting. And gentle movement. Your daughter’s inner world, is precious.”

Thank-you.  Many people don’t see her personality, or recognize how important a sense of order is to her.  I’m speaking of her internal order.  The order she brings to the space she creates.  We all want this to some degree.  She’s no different.

“Would you take in an online daughter of 30ish, an orphan from a terrible childhood? I wish somebody would…”

You, too, are precious.  I say that sincerely.  We all have uphill climbs in our lives; some have more challenges than others.

Years ago (probably when I was around your age!) a mentor said there are times when we feel like we don’t have any skin  Think about that. When we have a tiny cut we feel stung. Can you imagine what it would be like to have no skin at all? Somehow I suspect you can.

“Thank you very much for your post. You have no idea how much it reached me. Your daughter has inspired me to go on another day.”

This touched me deeply.  …very telling about you.  My daughter can be a real teacher once people get to know her.  She had taught me so much.

There are times when we all have to dig deep.  I mean really deep.

Someone told me I live everyday in a place where most people only glance. I imagine you understand this. One reason for this is to face your challenges, not deny them, then move through them and past them.  From there you can journey to a place of peace.  Truly. You have to be willing to take that walk.

Your reply to my post was lovely, honest and appreciated.  As I replied previously:

There’s a saying that during tough times you should take one day at a time. I think it’s often shorter. Take one moment at a time…one breath at a time.

We all have to find a safe place within our own world, within ourselves. Part of the journey with my daughter is to know this and to continually learn this.

It takes courage to reach out to someone when you’re in pain.  I hope you’ll reach out to people nearby who can support you. The journey starts with a first step.

Please stay strong and take one breath at a time.

I hope you’ll return to this post and drop me a line.

*If anyone else has words of encouragement for Anonymous, please feel free to leave those here.

Peaceful – Part 2

Thank-you everyone for your comments on my previous post Peaceful.  I am very grateful for all the comments and support.  I also discovered how diverse and talented all of you are as I got to explore your posts!

This is my view of peaceful…or one of them.  It had been a while since I’ve strummed and picked a few chords.  I took a break for a number of reasons.  Recently I felt a stirring.  I knew I needed to play again.  Whenever I run into certain people they say to me, “Don’t stop singing…please…don’t stop.”  It’s part of who I am…and it is one thing that beings me peace.

I also enjoyed watching my husband as he relaxed and listened.  I know he’s missed this as well.

Peaceful…

p. s.  On a different note (no pun intended!) I admit I’m also posting a similar photo to Cathy’s Crochet Corner as the fingerless gloves are a recent creation.   It was fun to test them out while I was playing.  Enjoy!