I am not an Easter person.
I disliked catechism as a kid. One reason is that I went to catechism with kids who attended other schools, not my own. Also, my dad was Catholic and my mom refused to convert, though she went to Catholic church every Sunday. Her heathenness complicated the ceremonial aspects of being a Catholic that parents would usually participate in. I had to do them all with my pop, and not my mom. The nuns actually told my brother that he should go home and tell our mom that she was going to hell if she didn't convert. And our very modern and new church featured an enormous and stern image of Christ on the ceiling that scared me. There isn't anything comforting, warmly familiar or unstressful about church, and I still feel guilty for not getting it.
For that reason, I decided as a young adult that I would not celebrate Easter. It's not fair to participate in the party when you haven't earned it, so to speak.
I discovered recently that although I am definitely not Catholic, I am Wendish / Sorbian. My peeps, a Slavic minority in Eastern Germany and Poland, have an amazing egg-decorating tradition. They also make noodles, believe in sprites, and wear gorgeously intricate traditional garb. Perhaps I can take back Easter through its pre-Christian roots. Won't help with the guilt, but would give me something to do while others eat ham.
Sorbian / Wendish links:
Wikipedia
Sorbian Eggs
March 27, 2016
March 26, 2016
Take That, Punks!
I'm taking the day off from Mom duty to rest, celebrate our oldest boy's 20th birthday, and play in the middle of the street. While I was there, I realized that people have been tagging our street signs. The magic combination of acetone, baking soda and soap made it all better.
Front before:
Front after:
Back before:
Back after:
So satisfying.
Front before:
March 19, 2016
Hip-Aversary 2016
One month ago I had the mammoo out in the yard pulling weeds. Risky, because of her balance, but awesomely fun for both of us. She's been doing so well at physical therapy that her therapist keeps sending me messages via our caregivers that I should come check her out. I hoped that pt would help keep her safe.
Uh oh.
I got the call Monday morning. She was on the floor of her apartment, broken, with the ambulance on the way. Poor Mama!! Several thoughts went through my head: a) I know what to do here, b) this is all happening close to my home, c) we already have a caregiver.
By the end of the day on Monday the mammoo had had her operation and was on the mend. The break is far less severe than last time, and she's already at 50% weight-bearing on that leg. Go mama go!!
Five days later we have three new caregivers, have reunited with a favorite caregiver who had gone on maternity leave in December (she'd just started to look for work the day before), and the mammoo is in rehab at the place where she rehabbed before. Many of her friends (nurses, aides, therapists) are still here and were happy to see her. She walked over 30 feet today using her walker.
All in all, this time around is better. I'm handling everything myself, and my siblings are letting me. We have come a long way, all of us.
Why Hip-Aversary? Because she broke her right hip 4 days shy of a year from breaking her left hip. During that solar orbit she rehabbed completely from one hip break. I organized her downsizing and move. Hired and fired caregivers. We emptied the house she'd lived in since 1960. Divvied up her belongings. Worked with an auction house to sell some of the antiques (ongoing). Celebrated our first family Christmas in the big brown box. And now we're doing this crazy hip thing again.
Today I took a break from the chaos and worked on her taxes instead. And sent emails to the coordinator at her community. And organized my sisters to call her at different times in the next hour because there is an hour off between the two caregivers today and if she decides to get out of bed in that hour and she falls I don't know what I'd do with myself.
I also took a moment to bid on a painting because sometimes when you've worked about as hard as a person can and are done for the day you juuuust want a motherfucking $100 birdie painting to make yourself feel better.
It's going to look great next to the shipwreck painting.
Uh oh.
I got the call Monday morning. She was on the floor of her apartment, broken, with the ambulance on the way. Poor Mama!! Several thoughts went through my head: a) I know what to do here, b) this is all happening close to my home, c) we already have a caregiver.
By the end of the day on Monday the mammoo had had her operation and was on the mend. The break is far less severe than last time, and she's already at 50% weight-bearing on that leg. Go mama go!!
Five days later we have three new caregivers, have reunited with a favorite caregiver who had gone on maternity leave in December (she'd just started to look for work the day before), and the mammoo is in rehab at the place where she rehabbed before. Many of her friends (nurses, aides, therapists) are still here and were happy to see her. She walked over 30 feet today using her walker.
All in all, this time around is better. I'm handling everything myself, and my siblings are letting me. We have come a long way, all of us.
Why Hip-Aversary? Because she broke her right hip 4 days shy of a year from breaking her left hip. During that solar orbit she rehabbed completely from one hip break. I organized her downsizing and move. Hired and fired caregivers. We emptied the house she'd lived in since 1960. Divvied up her belongings. Worked with an auction house to sell some of the antiques (ongoing). Celebrated our first family Christmas in the big brown box. And now we're doing this crazy hip thing again.
Today I took a break from the chaos and worked on her taxes instead. And sent emails to the coordinator at her community. And organized my sisters to call her at different times in the next hour because there is an hour off between the two caregivers today and if she decides to get out of bed in that hour and she falls I don't know what I'd do with myself.
I also took a moment to bid on a painting because sometimes when you've worked about as hard as a person can and are done for the day you juuuust want a motherfucking $100 birdie painting to make yourself feel better.
It's going to look great next to the shipwreck painting.
January 21, 2016
Sweet Home Waimanalo
RIP, my friend. My two times with you were magical (and mosquito-filled).
This trip has been filled with neuscheiss. Usually we do altscheiss (old shit).
Yes, it is tragic to say goodbye to your Neatloaf or Sloppy Gluten or whatever it is I used to eat there, but we will be trying out Ai Love Nalo today.
+++
Thursday was filled with downright goodness. The skies were blue and the weather was warm but not hot. We headed for Waimanalo, with a stop at the Kahala Mall for coffee and to take a picture of the Jack Lord sculpture.
Ended up buying some new flippies, as well as 4 bras, at Macy's. I never have time to do this at home. All of the clerks in the foundations department share my first name, and one is now taking her vacation to help her mom clean out the house. They just moved her dad to assisted living. We had a lot to talk about.
The mall also used to have a bowling alley, which has amazing architecture, so we stopped to photograph that.
Then we visited the 'Aina Haina library for their booksale and to see the Tadashi Sato painting. It's been on our list because of the painting and we pass by the library each time we visit because you can see the building from the highway.
We looked and looked for the painting and found it tucked in the back, over a work table, and hung on some of the most stupendous cement brick that looks as good from the back as it does from the front.
I picked the wrong day for the book sale, but we got lots of good stuff any: books, and a Rap Replinger VHS. I don't know why I can't get enough of the Auntie Marialani sketch.
Makapuu Lookout always reminds me of Five-O. I think of Jack Lord skittling down the rocks in his hard-soled leather shoes wondering how he didn't slide off the rocks and die.
Finally made it to Ai Love Nalo, which is in the Sweet Home Waimanalo building. Their food is so delicious that we took a Medi Bowl to go. Went a little further up the road to see the Akebono statue, the Ko'olaus and to have a cone at Dave's Ice Cream. You can see paradise from the parking lot.
Makapuu tide pools were so restful. We watched teensy hermit crabs and little fish, while a deeply suntanned guy was poke pole fishing on the rocks in the distance. I found a rock with limu on it and ate some. Did not die. And found this cool-looking thing -- seaweed with little teensy mollusks on it.
Above us people were parasailing, and then landing about 200 feet away. It was an amazing thing to see.
Back home we noshed on our goodies and drank beer on the lanai until way after the sun went down. Whales were spouting not far off shore, and then giving a tail flip to the breeze.
Can't believe we've only been here three days.
This trip has been filled with neuscheiss. Usually we do altscheiss (old shit).
Yes, it is tragic to say goodbye to your Neatloaf or Sloppy Gluten or whatever it is I used to eat there, but we will be trying out Ai Love Nalo today.
+++
Thursday was filled with downright goodness. The skies were blue and the weather was warm but not hot. We headed for Waimanalo, with a stop at the Kahala Mall for coffee and to take a picture of the Jack Lord sculpture.
Ended up buying some new flippies, as well as 4 bras, at Macy's. I never have time to do this at home. All of the clerks in the foundations department share my first name, and one is now taking her vacation to help her mom clean out the house. They just moved her dad to assisted living. We had a lot to talk about.
The mall also used to have a bowling alley, which has amazing architecture, so we stopped to photograph that.
Then we visited the 'Aina Haina library for their booksale and to see the Tadashi Sato painting. It's been on our list because of the painting and we pass by the library each time we visit because you can see the building from the highway.
We looked and looked for the painting and found it tucked in the back, over a work table, and hung on some of the most stupendous cement brick that looks as good from the back as it does from the front.
I picked the wrong day for the book sale, but we got lots of good stuff any: books, and a Rap Replinger VHS. I don't know why I can't get enough of the Auntie Marialani sketch.
Makapuu Lookout always reminds me of Five-O. I think of Jack Lord skittling down the rocks in his hard-soled leather shoes wondering how he didn't slide off the rocks and die.
Finally made it to Ai Love Nalo, which is in the Sweet Home Waimanalo building. Their food is so delicious that we took a Medi Bowl to go. Went a little further up the road to see the Akebono statue, the Ko'olaus and to have a cone at Dave's Ice Cream. You can see paradise from the parking lot.
Makapuu tide pools were so restful. We watched teensy hermit crabs and little fish, while a deeply suntanned guy was poke pole fishing on the rocks in the distance. I found a rock with limu on it and ate some. Did not die. And found this cool-looking thing -- seaweed with little teensy mollusks on it.
Above us people were parasailing, and then landing about 200 feet away. It was an amazing thing to see.
Back home we noshed on our goodies and drank beer on the lanai until way after the sun went down. Whales were spouting not far off shore, and then giving a tail flip to the breeze.
Can't believe we've only been here three days.
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