Day 7: Sunday Funday

I know about the horrible mass shooting in Texas…again. But today is not the day I want to write about it.

Today I’ve made this Sunday a Fun Day. I sat down and read the funnies, savoring each one. I practiced some Spanish. I signed up with Duolingo and, with their free program, have been learning the language. I began learning Spanish because I saw so many calls for Spanish-speaking tutors. I don’t know how fluent I can become but would like to be able to eventually fill in.

Yesterday was a Mother’s Day Celebration at mother-in-law Lucille’s development. She’d bought tickets for Ted and me as a gift for me. We were grateful because it wasn’t inexpensive for her. We picked her up and headed to the neighborhood center.

The event was well attended, and the buffet food was delicious.  I wish I’d remembered to bring my program home with me because the musician was a talented and engaging saxophonist/flutist with everyone up and dancing, especially Lucille.  

 

The musician, whose nickname was Yes Yes, noticed Lucille dancing her heart out. He took a break from playing to come off the stage and slowly danced with her. It was such a lovely, sweet dance that I thought I’d captured it with my phone’s video camera. For some reason, though, it didn’t record. Later, though, Lucille and Yes Yes danced together again briefly during a line dance, and I’m sharing it here.

 

Last night, a photographer was at the dinner. We were allowed as many shots as we liked, and they were free. These are pictures taken of Lucille, Ted, and me.

 

I am so inspired by my mother-in-law. She is 90 and not long ago, was hospitalized seriously ill with covid. After she recovered from that, she suffered a bout with an infected gall bladder. The infection had to be treated first and then removed. It left her in a weakened state, but she’s always had a strong will and lively spark within her.

I would like to get up and boogey like that if I get to 90.

I am not ready for the rocking chair. There is still much I can do and much I can learn. I want to keep that spark and determination going within me, and that is why I want to learn Spanish and even work on getting a BA in special education. Why not? I’m only 68!

Michele shared pictures her eldest, Brandon, took at the wedding last week. Brandon was the official photographer and we thought he might investigate pursuing it as a career. The pictures were gorgeous, and I wish I could share them all. I had some problems uploading the few that I’ve shared already. I created a Facebook album and I also have them all loaded into my Google Photos. Here are some of the photos Brandon took:

 

 

 

I have one more fun thing to do today on the computer. I want to make a photo album of my daughters’ new house. Heidi and Kristin bought a lovely house within a five-minute drive of our house. I am so thrilled to have them close by. All week, they’ve been working at the house to get it in order before they move in.  Yesterday they told us they were done with most of the painting.  Ted and I had had a very busy week, so we weren’t able to help as much as we wanted to but were able to show up to hang out for a little while each day they were there. 

 One fun fact I learned today: like me, Bruce Springsteen has his roots in Ireland. I have always loved the Boss and his music but had no idea that he was of Irish heritage until I read this article. Sláinte, Bruce!

As for the rest of Sunday, it’s so nice that Ted will be grilling hamburgers. After dinner, we can watch a movie and then cap it off with reading.

It’s been an amazingly restful Sunday.

I am participating in the American Cancer Society’s challenge to write for thirty minutes each day in May. I do a lot of writing and I can meet this challenge. What I plan to do is make a blog entry each day with what I’ve written.

I wanted to participate in memory of loved ones who fought cancer bravely but succumbed:

My brother-in-law Jeff

My sister-in-law Ann

My dear friend Kay

I also wanted to help raise money to support research and a cure for all those who are currently fighting this vicious disease.

My Facebook to the fundraiser is here.

Thank you to all who wish to support the American Cancer Society this month.

 

 

Day 6: Weltschmerz with a sprinkling of hope

 

I remember Bernhard Goetz.  I was living on Long Island that day, April 8, 1985. I remember I was in the midst of wedding plans for my marriage to Rich in October. 

 

Goetz, a white man, got onto a subway car in the City (that’s what we called NYC then, the City). He wanted to be left alone but was approached by four Black teenagers. One asked for money. Goetz felt threatened. He pulled out the gun he was carrying and shot the four teenagers. One was permanently paralyzed.

 

It was confusing. He acted without being threatened with words or a weapon. Did he do the right thing? Some hailed him a hero before they knew all the facts of the case. It turns out the four teenagers didn’t mean any harm to Goetz. From hero to villain in a short matter of time. Goetz was charged with attempted murder (and was acquitted) and a weapons charge for which he was fined $5000 and sent to jail for six months. He got off easy.

 

My ongoing weltschmerz has to do with what happened on yet another City subway on May 1. A homeless busker named Justin Neely got onto a subway car, and he was in an agitated state. He screamed he was homeless and hungry and didn’t care if he lived or died. A witness said he began throwing stuff at other passengers. So, a young former serviceman got up and, with the help of a couple of other passengers, put a chokehold on Neely.

 

Ok, so I know from previous experience that when a person is out of control, there are safe ways to subdue them. I was an interpreter for a Deaf client living in a sheltered home. Sometimes clients would lose control of themselves, and the staff went through training to subdue these clients safely. None of the techniques involved choke holds.

 

With other passengers already restraining Neely, why did Daniel Penny feel he needed to keep a tight chokehold? Penny choked Neely to death. Uncalled for.  Unnecessary.

 

Still, once again, Penny is hailed as a hero by many. Fortunately, some saner heads prevail. Although he was initially released, the District Attorney’s office is assessing what charges, if any, to bring against Penny. The coroner has already ruled that Neely’s death was a homicide.

 

The lack of compassion and care toward others is appalling.

 

But I can still reflect on the sprinklings of hope. Despite all the evil in our midst, there are still good people in the world.

 

Last Saturday, our oldest daughter got married. I live in a blended family that, over the years, has become one. When Ted and I met, we were both widowed with children. He had two adult daughters and my three were 14, 12, and 9. It was awkward and difficult at first.

 

Last Saturday, though, there was only love in abundance.

 

I felt especially hopeful watching my five-year-old great granddaughter race around in her cast. She’d broken her ankle falling off a trampoline and was in a boot cast, running around and dancing without a care in the world. I took videos of my 90-year-old mother-in-law boogeying with my 69-year-old husband. We were celebrating and we were all joyous.

 

I have a lot of hope for Gen Z (which includes my older grandchildren) and the Alpha Gen. I believe with their dedication they can bring about the kind of changes we need in this country.  Their enthusiasm has reawakened Boomers, GenXers and Millennials.

 

I’m including a few shots of my daughter’s wedding.

                                              Michele & Gary, so Bill is

                                              the officiant

a group dance with Gram's granddaughters

my great granddaughter, with concealed cast on her right foot

Ted and Gram boogy

Ted and me

I had some really fun videos to share but was having trouble uploading them. Thanks, Murphy!

I am participating in the American Cancer Society’s challenge to write for thirty minutes each day in May. I do a lot of writing and I can meet this challenge. What I plan to do is make a blog entry each day with what I’ve written.

I wanted to participate in memory of loved ones who fought cancer bravely but succumbed:

My brother-in-law Jeff

My sister-in-law Ann

My dear friend Kay

My Uncle Bob

My Uncle John

I also wanted to help raise money to support research and a cure for all those who are currently fighting this vicious disease.

My Facebook to the fundraiser is here.