rambling on a saturday morning

This coffee I get from Chock Full O Nuts is surely hot, and stays hot a long time.  Good stuff.

It's early saturday morning, and I've been up since before dawn.  Still kind of quiet outside, as the shoppers won't descend until about 10 am, when these streets get very busy.  Lots of stores just a block away, including a huge Century 21, which seems to attract people from near and far.  Never got into the place myself, for the most part.

Me and Evie are going to go to the Guggenheim Museum next month.  I've never been, and I look forward to taking pictures of that fine architecture, inside and out...  As well as some pics of art, I'm sure.  Here's hoping the camera holds up.
We're also imagining/affirming a trip out west to visit parts of New Mexico (Santa Fe, Taos, and where Georgia O'Keefe lived), and Arizona (Flagstaff/Grand Canyon).  We figure it might be years before this comes to fruition (hopefully not too many years!), but we have it set in our sights.

Starting out as a very nice day here, in the 60's so far.  Supposed to go up to 79F, which won't be too bad as long as it doesn't get humid.

Hope everything is alright in your world.

Melissa, my heart

Melissa is my niece, my sister's daughter, and the only child borne to our small family.  It is too bad I never had a child, so my sister could experience what a joy it is to have a niece or nephew.
It was love at first sight when my sister had Melissa.  I never knew how instantly love could evolve.
Theresa (Tree) and Melissa were always down at my parent's place, so she got to grow up around all of us.  Her son now is much like her, able to hang out with adults and not be antsy or wild.  We spent so much time together, that I felt like her second mother.  But an aunt has a special bond that even mothers don't know about.  It is not easy to explain, but I'm sure Melissa would agree with me.
When she was 5 years old, my sister and I brought her along on a bus trip cross country.  63 hours to Durango, CO.  She was amazing, enjoying the ride, and never complaining.  What an amazing kid.
The love she provides me is unlike any I have ever known.
When Melis was a teenager, we still continued to have great times with her.  She loved Bon Jovi, and Skid Row, and so many rockers from back in the day.  We went to concerts all the time, and even joined the Bon Jovi fan club when she was 16, so we could go on an adventure where we met the band.  Good times, good times.
A while back, Melis was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had a double mastectomy, followed by a grueling course of chemotherapy.  To say she triumphed throughout this is an understatement.   Her strength and attitude were phenomenal.  She kicked cancer's ass.
Today, Melissa is 39 years old, and the mother of Logan, who is 3 and a half.  My love for her is vast, as is my love for her son.  What joy she has brought to me over the past 39 years.  There is nothing to compare to it.

I love you, Melissa.... as big as the sky.

real Spring weather

Today the weather is fine... it went to 75F, and those 90's are gone for now.  Lots of people out on the street.  Me and Evie walked a few blocks to the store and bought the fixings for a big salad, which we ate when we got back.
Hopefully these days will last a while and I can get out and do a lot of picture taking.  Just a few today.

quiet monday

Monday, and nothing much is going on.  Just felt like dropping by blogland to see what was going on with my fellow bloggers.  Much to be read and respond to.  I like it.
It's 73.2F/feels like 77F (22.9C/25C)... those "feel like" degrees point to humidity, which I loath.  At least the temps are going down... it was in the 90's for a couple of days.  Too early, summer's not even here, but June never seems to heed that.

Logan had a good day, going in a little pool that Melissa got for him.  Here is a picture she took on the cell camera, of him apres water.  The best of summertime treats.

June theme day... The beauty of decay

I've found a site, called City Daily Photo Theme Day , and am joining in on this month's theme of "the beauty of decay".

Here is my shot, taken quite some time ago.
decayed leaves:

(click on photo to view large image)

a good day

Spent the afternoon over at my niece, Melissa's place, along with my sister.  We sat in the yard, which was so pleasant, with a tree to shade us.  Logan amazed me with his wit and wonder.  He is fussy when it comes to dirt, like his mother.  He tripped on the ground and got dirt on his hands... "oh oh" he said, and proceeded to wipe it off as much as he could.  Surprised he didn't ask for a napkin as he usually does.  He is 3 and a  half now, and just blows me away.  When I tell him I need a hug and a kiss, he'll comply and kiss me, then put his arms around me as much as he can.  I'll say "I love you."  and he'll reply, "I love you, too."  He just makes me feel so good inside.

Here's a couple of pics from today.. Logan wanted me to take a picture of his Ironman, so I complied.

Logan and Melissa

Ironman

Tree and Logan

my mom

I don't write about my mom very much, but having been with her the day before yesterday, and today, she is on my mind.

She walked with a slight limp (from a childhood injury which left her with half a knee, and one leg shorter than the other), oh so long ago.  Those were the good days for her body.  At 42, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) took hold, and slowly her lower body deteriorated. Two breaks of her tibia in later years topped off the deterioration, and a broken ankle from falling out of her chair on the street one day (she now wears a seatbelt all the time), really got the best of her.

Today, in a wheelchair, unable to stand or move her legs very much, she must depend on aides and daughters to help her out of bed getting dressed, getting on the tub seat (but bathing herself w/o assistance),  and other things, but not much along the day. She picks up around the house, and keeps a tidy place.

Independent since a teenager, she takes her motorized wheelchair everywhere.  It's her legs, she says.  On the buses, or access-a-ride, she comes to my neighborhood, or other places, all by herself.  She'll be 86 soon, and she is bright and alive, and always says "I love life."  But she is scared.  Scared that she is getting too weak to just depend on aides, and might need to go into a home.  I don't see this happening yet.  She still gets by well with the aides.  A home would depress the hell out of her.  She lives in a senior citizen independent housing run by Catholic Charities.  Has a one bedroom apt., and is happy there.  It's where she lived with my father, who is gone 21  years this year.
I think my mom will live a long time, she has longevity in her family.  I think one of her aunts lived into 100's.  She tells me not to die before her, and urges me to stop smoking.  I don't listen.
My mother is an amazing woman, who I pray does not lose any more strength in her body.  She is a good friend who knows me very well.  She can always tell, even over the phone, if something is wrong.  My face gives it away to her as well.
We used to go to Atlantic City a lot together, but that was back when she used a standard wheelchair (which she refuses to use now, because it's uncomfortable for her, can't blame her) .  The motorized one cannot be put in a car, plus I'm not sure I could transfer her to a car seat at this point, being she can no longer bear any weight on her legs.  But we had several good overnight stays in AC.  Gambling at the slots a lot, and strolling/wheeling on the boardwalk, feeding the seagulls, buying salt water taffy.  I wish we could go back.

So, I just felt like writing a little about my mom, an amazing woman who loves life, and often laughs at her situation, because, as she says "What am I gonna cry?"  God bless her.
Here we are at AC some years ago.

gone with the wind

As you may or may not have noticed, our free writes and free draw have gone with the wind.  We were 50 short on them, to make 365, and we just ran out of steam and ideas. This is right around the time we should have finished. We almost made it, and I'm sorry that we didn't.  Maybe we will start a new 365 project in the future.
Also, my camera went on the fritz again... the memory card slot being damaged.  But lo and behold I got it working again, despite the damage.  It's  a crap shoot how long it will last... it just stops working, saying the memory card is damaged, but it's not the card, it's the slot.  Unfortunately, I haven't been anywhere to take pictures.

Memorial Day weekend here.... so, here's to all the many many soldiers who died in the name of freedom.  May we remember them in our hearts.  Wear a poppy if you can.

On a lighter note, I'll probably be going to my nieces barbeque on monday.  Sure to be lots of good eats, and maybe an exotic drink or two... she always seems to whip up something fun.  Hope the camera holds out for the day.

last night's sunset

There aren't many good sunsets over the winter and much of the Spring, so its been a while since posting any.  When I took this one last night, I noticed my hands are shaking more than usual.  This does not thrill me.  Set at 1/60th of a second, as you can see I wasn't able to hold the camera steady, though I tried every trick to do so.  Bums me out.

Welcome May and my birthday

In a few more minutes my May 6th 2013 birthday will be over.  It was mostly a quiet day, though I got phone calls from my family, and birthday wishes online, and a yummy cake from my friend, Evie, which we ate too much of.  Melissa made a video of Logan singing me Happy Birthday, and that was the most precious gift I could get.  At the end, he whispers "I love you."  And the look in his eyes makes my heart melt.

So, I am 59 now.  It boggles my brain.  I just don't remember getting to this age.  The time went so quickly, and now I am at the end of my fifties.  Geesh.

Welcome to May.  I hope it continues to be a cool month, as it has been of late.  It's our last chance for really decent weather before the summer descends.