KpacoTa CnaceT Mup-Beauty Will Save the World

(Quote from Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky's THE IDIOT, 1869)


Monday, February 28, 2011

My daughter for Relay for Life


As many of you know, my husband passed away last year. He had Stage IV Lung cancer. My oldest, Alex, has been doing Relay for a while. Please check out her pages and pass along to anyone you care. Thank you so much for your time .


Sincerely,


Lydia


My Reason to Relay

June 2011 will be my sixth Relay for Life! I relay for my father, who passed away in May 2010 from lung cancer, my friend Michael who was only 19 years old when he passed away in 2005 from brain cancer, and everyone else who has been affected by this terrible disease.

Please make a donation to the American Cancer Society to help us all live in a world with less cancer. Everyone has been affected in some way, whether you: have or had it, were a caregiver, knew someone with it, or even had a friend who knew someone with it. Your donation no matter how small can help so many people! Won't you please donate today?!

THANK YOU!

- Alex




If you are unable to view the message below, click here to view

This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words ‘You have cancer’. I know too many people who are touched by cancer, and that is why I have joined the American Cancer Society on a mission to save lives and create a world with more birthdays by participating in the Relay For Life in my community.

At Relay For Life we celebrate loved ones who have won their battle against cancer, remember those who are no longer with us, and fight back against this disease that touches so many. I am determined to make a difference, and I hope you will join me. I will be walking on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Sherwood High School in Olney, Maryland.

Please, support me in my efforts by using the link below to visit my personal web page and make a donation. Every dollar raised brings us one dollar closer to a cure, and to a time when the number of people who have to hear the words “you have cancer” is zero.

Thank you so much for your support. Together, we ARE saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays!

Thank you for your donation, no matter how small!

- Alex

Click here to visit my PERSONAL page.
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Click here to view the TEAM page for Aspen Hill Club
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Coming out 0f the Winter doldrums...


...so I think that I am getting back to life a little. Have been inspired and making some things. No pictures for now.


Went to celebrate my grandmother's baby sister's 97th birthday last Saturday. When I put some pictures on the computer I will share. How many 97 year olds can have a bookshelf fall on them, break their tailbone in 3 places (in Oct.) , and be healed totally by February? But, she lost a bit of weight. Still looks great! Could pass for someone in her late 70's. She can talk politics and social issues with you, keeps up on things like Cairo, is into homeopathy, and can stick her tongue out like a 16 year old for pictures. She's amazing.

Sadly, my fabulous grandmother, (I was truly blessed with the best and always knew it), passed away at 59 when I was in 3rd grade. My 97 yr. old aunt has buried all three of her children and her husband. That is so very tough. But, she is an inspiration to us all and always keeps her spirits up. I easily have 4 hour telephone conversations with her. She is so much fun with whom to have a conversation.In fact, up until about 8-10 years ago, four generations would go antiquing, and guess who would drive?

The reason that I have not been blogging much is that my work schedule has been hectic, and everyday life takes so much of the time that is left. Have been feeling a bit frazzled. Hoping to get some things off my list now, and feel better about things. Lots going on since the fall, much on the shoulders. Trying to clear my head.

Of course it is hard on days like Valentine's Day and such. But, I think in general that this year has been tougher for me- maybe because it was 'last year' that we lost him.

Well, I recently took to my wool and needle felted for the first time. I am very pleased with the results. Have been working on some other wool pieces as well. Had a woolen Christmas stocking that I cut up with which I made some heads. A dog's head, a cat's head and a snake's face. They are very folk art like. The snakes face,(not scary), will turn into a little purse. The cat and dog will either be purses or dolls. Not sure which to do yet. Also have some paper mache birds in the works.

I am feeling frazzled as I have so many things to do, and when I get started, something comes to interrupt the process. I feel sometimes that not much gets done, even though I do far more than many others. Would love to start on my basement studio, but then have other necessary projects like redoing my filing system, and the purging of old papers. I have no problems organizing and purging, I just have so much of it to do. Time, time, time.

Our world is surely so crazy, when retired relatives are frazzled from life. The answer is to do less, but getting rid of things that one likes to do to stay de-frazzled sometimes seems to be the only answer to the time crunch.

My Mom's rose bush was transplanted when we sold our old family home. It gives me roses in winter. I feel that it is my Mom watching over me, sending me her love and support from heaven above when it does. And it usually comes at a point when I need the extra lift.Although there is no rose on the bush now, the above rose picture is from this rose bush which has been transplanted twice, and still gives us roses.

Just read a quote that I like, something to the effect of :
"Don't give the devil a ride. He will insist upon driving."

I take it to mean to not give in to negative thoughts- and , I guess to things in general that one may later regret doing.

Maybe Puxatawney Phil was right, and spring will be with us soon. We have been having some blue skies and temps. in the 40's and nearing 50 recently. Have a great day.

xo Lydia

Saturday, February 5, 2011

31 Years ago today, My Dad Died...1 Year ago today, Ken came home for Hospice


31 years ago today at 5:45 am I received a phone call. I thought that it was a subbing call, but then I looked at the clock and saw how early it was. That wasn't good. My super, well loved father passed away at 52 from fibrosis of the lungs, due to too much radiation treatment for his Hodgkin's Disease.

The radiologist was an awful man. My father was a civil servant, with average pay for the day. The doctor told him,"You took a mortgage out for your home, you took a loan out for your car, I'm not waiting for Blue Cross-Blue Shield, take a loan out to pay me."

I loved my father to the ends of the earth. He made us feel as if all four of us were his favorite. I always figured that if I was 1/2 as good a parent as my Dad was, that my kids would turn out all right. *

So it did not slip my mind in the least when we found out that Ken would come home for Hospice a year ago today. It compounded the memory date, emblazoned it in my heart and soul forever.

Of course, we were hoping to heal Ken. And, after all, while home in Hospice, he got rid of his hematuria, 2 colds, and started to gain weight/eat & drink more, ever so slowly. But then he made a drastic turn for the worst, his body temperature plummeted to 88 degrees, and then the following day, his final day here on earth with us in May, to 87 degrees. He was 55.

My sister said that he had 1 foot in heaven , and three here on earth. That so described Ken. He did not want to leave. But, alas, it was not his decision to make , but it was the decision of the man upstairs.

West Side Tennis Club.

Our beautiful children at their cousin's wedding last September.
* I feel awful, but I do not have any photos of my Dad on the computer. So many to scan. He was the best Dad anyone could've had. No lie.