So back in July ( or was it June?) I accepted a bet. My father, my grandfather, and I would workout to see who dropped 50 lbs first. I just found out my uncle is in on the bet too. So there are four of us working on dropping our excess weight. The bet was that the first person to that weight would collect $50 dollars from the others. So that means that when I beat them (I'm determined to do so!) I will have $150 dollars towards a new wardrobe for my slimmer self. My bet winning weight is 218.3 lbs - so I have about 40 left to go.
So a while back I found www.bodyrock.tv where Zuzana records her interval workouts and gives directions (and modifications) for us to try them in our home. I bought the gymboss interval timer a while ago with the intent to try her workouts, but it wasn't until today (several months later) that I finally jumped in and tried it.
Zuzana is incredibly fit. I am in the progress of becoming fit. Challenging Zuzana to any type of physical contest would result in me losing terribly (unless it was a cannon ball or bellyflop competition where having greater mass is to my advantage). So I was more than a little bit intimidated by her. However, I'd like my body to one day look similar to hers - thus, I decided, doing her workouts would be beneficial. So here I am all sweaty and gross at the end of my workout. I really, really wanted to quit, but quitting in the past has only aided me in getting to the unhealthy weight I currently sit at. So I pushed past what I thought my limit was and finished. Now I am one workout closer to a healthier body and winning that bet.
Brunette Beating Blonde Workout (that's what the video was called)
1.Flying high knees: 5-4-5-4
2.Side pike jumps: 45-28-15-26
3.Reverse crunch (modified): 13-13-13-13
4.Side step up: 32-32-10-10
I wanted to quit at this point,but quitting isn't going to help me lose my extra pounds. I was breathing pretty hard and felt like I'd lose the contents of my stomach if I went straight into the super girl push ups. So I did a 4 minute moving break. Before attempting super girl push ups on my knees. Did I mention I absolutely despise push ups?
5.Super girl push up (modified): 8-5-6-6
So this was my first ever BodyRock workout and it kicked my butt. I think I got a better workout just now then I did last Sunday walking the Nike Women's Half Marathon (maybe - the hills of San Fransisco kicked my butt too). This was just a different type of butt kicking workout. I now plan on incorporating more www.bodyrock.tv workouts into my routine. Onederland here I come!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Happy Birthday Mikey!
Happy Birthday Mikey! You would have been 23 today. My forever 13 adorable little brother. I love you so much! We had s'mores to celebrate your birthday today. Then Joey, Linda, and I went out to your headstone. We made sure to clean it up. Kandra, Jeffrey, Steven and Mom were out their earlier. They cleaned off all the pine needles and made a nice bouquet of fall flowers. It was a very nice day today. Sunshine and in the 80s - not the typical October weather, but I'm not complaining.
Work went well this morning. Then I went out to Grandma Susie's and Grandpa Ed's for lunch. Grandma made some delicious crab sandwiches. Then we hung out outside around the s'more fire. After visiting Mikey's grave we headed back into town. Stopped by to see Grandpa Larry in the hospital. He had a rough day, but Grandma is helping him through it. Grandpa kept telling Grandma Carolyn that she needed to hitch up the mules so that they could head home. He really wants to be home, but he has a lot of healing to do from his fall before he'll be able to leave the hospital. We are praying that he heals quickly and that he is nice to the nurses. Despite thinking he was in a barn ready to head out into eight foot snow on the ride home, he had good color and his vitals were much better than when he crashed this afternoon. He's strong and he's fighting and we are praying and God is in control. We are all off to bed now. Night!
Work went well this morning. Then I went out to Grandma Susie's and Grandpa Ed's for lunch. Grandma made some delicious crab sandwiches. Then we hung out outside around the s'more fire. After visiting Mikey's grave we headed back into town. Stopped by to see Grandpa Larry in the hospital. He had a rough day, but Grandma is helping him through it. Grandpa kept telling Grandma Carolyn that she needed to hitch up the mules so that they could head home. He really wants to be home, but he has a lot of healing to do from his fall before he'll be able to leave the hospital. We are praying that he heals quickly and that he is nice to the nurses. Despite thinking he was in a barn ready to head out into eight foot snow on the ride home, he had good color and his vitals were much better than when he crashed this afternoon. He's strong and he's fighting and we are praying and God is in control. We are all off to bed now. Night!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Hobbies & Fandom - Harry Potter House Cup
Some people run around on broomsticks playing Quidditch to express their Harry Potter fandom. I'm not one of those people (though if any of my friends ever decided to organize a match, I could easily be one of those people). Instead, for the last eight weeks I have immersed myself into Harry Potter's world by competing in the House Cup. I was Head Prefect of Gryffindor this game. 'How do you compete in a House Cup?' might be the thought running through your head (other thoughts may include questioning my sanity, but I don't mind). The answer to that question is simple. At the beginning of the game you choose your house. A massive task list is then posted and your house has 7-8 weeks to complete as many tasks as possible. Following is a link to all the tasks my house completed (I'm Earwen_Lightrider if you want to know which ones I specifically did):
Completed Tasks for Gryffindor in House Cup 17
Some examples of tasks I enjoyed completing:
Redesign any famous piece of artwork (painting, statue, etc.) so it fits in the HP-verse. I don’t care how you do it – redraw, photoshop, whatever. An example of this would be replacing the Mona Lisa’s head with Dumbledore’s. May do up to 25. 100 points.
I did all 25 which you can view if you click on the above link, but the following are probably my favorites.
There were several musical tasks, including some parody songs, that are always a blast to complete. Which you can listen to here (songs done by me say so).
I also did several writing tasks. So if you'd like to read the prank Fred & George pulled on Slytherin or what might happen if Gilderoy Lockhart (pre-memory wipe) became Headmaster of Hogwarts click here to take a look at my tasks or read through the task list and click on the ones that interest you as my fellow housemates did fantastic too.
Basically, each House Cup game is a way for me to challenge my creativity through my fandom based on prompts (the tasks themselves). It's a fun way to get my creative brain active and encourages me to try new things. Oh, and did I mention that I have a complete blast? House Cup competition is fun! So as I just finished submitting all the tasks for Gryffindor, I hope that we beat Slytherin & Ravenclaw (because Slytherin's winning streak really needs shattered), but even if we don't - we had fun! And that's how games should be.
~Nata
Completed Tasks for Gryffindor in House Cup 17
Some examples of tasks I enjoyed completing:
Redesign any famous piece of artwork (painting, statue, etc.) so it fits in the HP-verse. I don’t care how you do it – redraw, photoshop, whatever. An example of this would be replacing the Mona Lisa’s head with Dumbledore’s. May do up to 25. 100 points.
I did all 25 which you can view if you click on the above link, but the following are probably my favorites.
There were several musical tasks, including some parody songs, that are always a blast to complete. Which you can listen to here (songs done by me say so).
I also did several writing tasks. So if you'd like to read the prank Fred & George pulled on Slytherin or what might happen if Gilderoy Lockhart (pre-memory wipe) became Headmaster of Hogwarts click here to take a look at my tasks or read through the task list and click on the ones that interest you as my fellow housemates did fantastic too.
Basically, each House Cup game is a way for me to challenge my creativity through my fandom based on prompts (the tasks themselves). It's a fun way to get my creative brain active and encourages me to try new things. Oh, and did I mention that I have a complete blast? House Cup competition is fun! So as I just finished submitting all the tasks for Gryffindor, I hope that we beat Slytherin & Ravenclaw (because Slytherin's winning streak really needs shattered), but even if we don't - we had fun! And that's how games should be.
~Nata
Friday, June 18, 2010
Grease up to the elbows... [Learning to change a starter.]
So my car was fixed. Went to pick it up and tried to start it... 10 minutes later I am talking to the mechanic. He told me the starter was dying and gave me a quote. Seeing as I had just payed him for fixing my car I wasn't inclined to immediately fork over more for it. So I spent some more time and got it to start. Drove it home and immediately looked up the price for my starter. For $140 dollars less than the quote I was given I could purchase a new starter. The YouTube video on how to change a starter didn't look to tough. I mean... how bad can it really be to unhook 2 wires and take out 2 bolts. Piece of cake, right?
Five minutes later, I'm out starting under my hood. Trying my hardest to locate the starter. That ever so elusive starter. Staring, searching, time passes... 15 minutes later my neighbor Darren is walking Jeffrey (my little brother) back over from martial arts practice. He gives me the information that I am lacking. The starter is located under the engine. Oh, silly me! [Note to self: next time you decide to look for a part under the hood... find a diagram or something so that you are actually looking in the right place.] Another neighbor, Craig, dropped by and offered the use of his jack. Once he got the car up he was able to show me where the starter was. He also showed me the wire that leads from my battery to the starter. Disconnected the battery and he went off to his house to grab his tools because he didn't want to wait. Joey (my brother) was on his way with tools. Mom got out the car repair ramps and my brother towed my car up onto them. Then Joey proceeded to take out the starter. This thing was a pain to get into because of the heat shield that he had to remove first. Unfortunately, car manufacturers must not think of ease of repair when putting together the engine. The top bolt is a pain to get to. My brother had to climb up onto the car and reach his hand down through in a very odd angle to even get at the bolt and getting at it from the bottom is even trickier. He was able to get it out just in time to head off to the shooting range (he was meeting buddies there). So my Craig told me he would help me install it once I bought it.
So most of my morning and part of my afternoon was spent on my car. I'm so glad Craig has a creeper (one of those rolling skateboard like things that make working on a car so much nicer!). His style of aiding in car repair for others is to teach them how - so that if they ever need to do the repair again, they can. So I got to try out a creeper and go under a car and put the starter in. Hooked up the wires only to have to unhook the little one again because it was in the way of tightening the bigger one. It took us quite some time to discover that we needed a 13 mm socket for the ratchet. The old one had used a 14 mm. We eventually got that one on and the little wire reattached. Then came the bolt and nut. One bolt is attached to the car and just needs a washer and nut placed on it. Unfortunately, that is the bolt on the underside. If they were thinking, they would of put that one on top. It would have been so much nicer. So putting the washer and nut on was easy, but you can't tighten it yet. Now for the top bolt that threads into the car. The one you have to snake your hand around things to even reach from the underside. The one that you need to get a step stool out to even reach from the topside unless you want to kneel up on the car frame (like my brother did). Yeah, time for that bolt.
You know, putting in a bolt should take what - three minutes at most? I mean, come on. You get two holes to line up and thread the thing. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. One hour later and I am up to my elbows in grease. Did I mention the cars an 87 and the engine is filthy? [Side note: apparently you can wash your engine. I never knew this - had never even heard of it. There are a few things you don't want water in. I was informed that the nearby car wash has an engine and undercarriage setting. I may give that a try.] So I'm under the car fiddling with the starter (those things are surprisingly heavy) to try and get the hole to line up so that the bolt will move to no avail.
Enter step stool. I had to snake my arm down and around all sorts of things to get to the bolt and hole. My fingers kept slipping off and I just couldn't get a good grip on it. Called my bro to see if he could come back by after shooting to fix it. He said he'd swing by. Headed back outside to find out that another neighbor, Austin, had dropped by and that his girlfriend's sister (who just happens to be studying to be a mechanic) was willing to give it a go. She was successful in getting it started and most of the way in. Then Austin tightened it the rest of the way as well as tightening the nut on the underside. We reattached all the pieces on top that we had moved out of the way. Secured the hoses and hooked up the battery.
I hop in to start it. Craig commented that if it didn't start now it means it was the battery. Thankfully, I wasn't worried about the battery (seeing as the battery was purchased just over a week ago). Turn the key and...
...it started! Happy day! My car is fixed and five of us are covered in grease.
So, in retrospect, I would totally do this again. I learned a lot about my car. I got to chat a lot with my neighbors. And I didn't have to fork over an additional $140 dollars to a mechanic. I also found 6 four-leaf clovers. So a good totally unplanned day.
Five minutes later, I'm out starting under my hood. Trying my hardest to locate the starter. That ever so elusive starter. Staring, searching, time passes... 15 minutes later my neighbor Darren is walking Jeffrey (my little brother) back over from martial arts practice. He gives me the information that I am lacking. The starter is located under the engine. Oh, silly me! [Note to self: next time you decide to look for a part under the hood... find a diagram or something so that you are actually looking in the right place.] Another neighbor, Craig, dropped by and offered the use of his jack. Once he got the car up he was able to show me where the starter was. He also showed me the wire that leads from my battery to the starter. Disconnected the battery and he went off to his house to grab his tools because he didn't want to wait. Joey (my brother) was on his way with tools. Mom got out the car repair ramps and my brother towed my car up onto them. Then Joey proceeded to take out the starter. This thing was a pain to get into because of the heat shield that he had to remove first. Unfortunately, car manufacturers must not think of ease of repair when putting together the engine. The top bolt is a pain to get to. My brother had to climb up onto the car and reach his hand down through in a very odd angle to even get at the bolt and getting at it from the bottom is even trickier. He was able to get it out just in time to head off to the shooting range (he was meeting buddies there). So my Craig told me he would help me install it once I bought it.
So most of my morning and part of my afternoon was spent on my car. I'm so glad Craig has a creeper (one of those rolling skateboard like things that make working on a car so much nicer!). His style of aiding in car repair for others is to teach them how - so that if they ever need to do the repair again, they can. So I got to try out a creeper and go under a car and put the starter in. Hooked up the wires only to have to unhook the little one again because it was in the way of tightening the bigger one. It took us quite some time to discover that we needed a 13 mm socket for the ratchet. The old one had used a 14 mm. We eventually got that one on and the little wire reattached. Then came the bolt and nut. One bolt is attached to the car and just needs a washer and nut placed on it. Unfortunately, that is the bolt on the underside. If they were thinking, they would of put that one on top. It would have been so much nicer. So putting the washer and nut on was easy, but you can't tighten it yet. Now for the top bolt that threads into the car. The one you have to snake your hand around things to even reach from the underside. The one that you need to get a step stool out to even reach from the topside unless you want to kneel up on the car frame (like my brother did). Yeah, time for that bolt.
You know, putting in a bolt should take what - three minutes at most? I mean, come on. You get two holes to line up and thread the thing. Piece of cake, right? Wrong. One hour later and I am up to my elbows in grease. Did I mention the cars an 87 and the engine is filthy? [Side note: apparently you can wash your engine. I never knew this - had never even heard of it. There are a few things you don't want water in. I was informed that the nearby car wash has an engine and undercarriage setting. I may give that a try.] So I'm under the car fiddling with the starter (those things are surprisingly heavy) to try and get the hole to line up so that the bolt will move to no avail.
Enter step stool. I had to snake my arm down and around all sorts of things to get to the bolt and hole. My fingers kept slipping off and I just couldn't get a good grip on it. Called my bro to see if he could come back by after shooting to fix it. He said he'd swing by. Headed back outside to find out that another neighbor, Austin, had dropped by and that his girlfriend's sister (who just happens to be studying to be a mechanic) was willing to give it a go. She was successful in getting it started and most of the way in. Then Austin tightened it the rest of the way as well as tightening the nut on the underside. We reattached all the pieces on top that we had moved out of the way. Secured the hoses and hooked up the battery.
I hop in to start it. Craig commented that if it didn't start now it means it was the battery. Thankfully, I wasn't worried about the battery (seeing as the battery was purchased just over a week ago). Turn the key and...
...it started! Happy day! My car is fixed and five of us are covered in grease.
So, in retrospect, I would totally do this again. I learned a lot about my car. I got to chat a lot with my neighbors. And I didn't have to fork over an additional $140 dollars to a mechanic. I also found 6 four-leaf clovers. So a good totally unplanned day.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Rainy Day
It's been raining all day. but I like it. The plants are enjoying their shower.
Took my car in to get fixed this morning. Got a laugh out of being the only one able to start it (Mom & Bevan both flooded the engine in their attempts). Guess after a week and a half of driving it I have gotten the hang of it. Anyway, haven't heard back on it yet. I'm hoping that it is something simple that fixes the issue of it shaking and dying at each stop (unless I put my left air-casted foot on the brake and tap lightly on the gas with my right foot). You really don't realize how many times your stop on the way to and from work until your car decides to die at each one.
My foot is all sorts of fun colors right now and I should only have to wear the air-cast for 2 more days (yay!). Then I can ease myself back into my workouts (oh how I've missed them!). I'll be glad to be rid of the annoying cast. The air on the left side leaks out pretty quick now - so I either constantly put more air in or ignore the pain caused by rubbing.
I am currently busy inputting vocab words on an electronic flashcard side (fantastic site: smart.fm) for my students to use. I think that it will really help them with memorization of vocab., states, dates, and math facts. I'm really enjoying the summer hours at work. The students are in much better moods because they aren't coming from a full day of school. Some of them had the giggles today and I had to laugh when one of them was in shock that I had played and beaten Twilight Princess (Legend of Zelda). You can imagine the look of shock on his face when I told him that I own and can play an Ocarina. Guess the idea that video games are for male adolescents is still pretty popular.
Tomorrow is my project day - babysitting the kids for my mom in the morning and hoping to get some projects done in the afternoon. I'd like to get some sewing done. I've got a onesie to turn into a t-shirt for the adorable darling I watched during the school year. (She's potty training and onesies just don't work for that!) I would also like to get my second flag sewn so that I can give Amy back her flag.
Tomorrow evening, my sis and her boyfriend will be up for a visit. Should be a lot of fun. They are coming up to celebrate Father's day. I'm really hoping the gift we got Dad will arrive in time. I know that he is going to love it! (Sorry, you'll have to be kept in suspense until he gets it. There is no way I want to chance ruining the surprise.)
Took my car in to get fixed this morning. Got a laugh out of being the only one able to start it (Mom & Bevan both flooded the engine in their attempts). Guess after a week and a half of driving it I have gotten the hang of it. Anyway, haven't heard back on it yet. I'm hoping that it is something simple that fixes the issue of it shaking and dying at each stop (unless I put my left air-casted foot on the brake and tap lightly on the gas with my right foot). You really don't realize how many times your stop on the way to and from work until your car decides to die at each one.
My foot is all sorts of fun colors right now and I should only have to wear the air-cast for 2 more days (yay!). Then I can ease myself back into my workouts (oh how I've missed them!). I'll be glad to be rid of the annoying cast. The air on the left side leaks out pretty quick now - so I either constantly put more air in or ignore the pain caused by rubbing.
I am currently busy inputting vocab words on an electronic flashcard side (fantastic site: smart.fm) for my students to use. I think that it will really help them with memorization of vocab., states, dates, and math facts. I'm really enjoying the summer hours at work. The students are in much better moods because they aren't coming from a full day of school. Some of them had the giggles today and I had to laugh when one of them was in shock that I had played and beaten Twilight Princess (Legend of Zelda). You can imagine the look of shock on his face when I told him that I own and can play an Ocarina. Guess the idea that video games are for male adolescents is still pretty popular.
Tomorrow is my project day - babysitting the kids for my mom in the morning and hoping to get some projects done in the afternoon. I'd like to get some sewing done. I've got a onesie to turn into a t-shirt for the adorable darling I watched during the school year. (She's potty training and onesies just don't work for that!) I would also like to get my second flag sewn so that I can give Amy back her flag.
Tomorrow evening, my sis and her boyfriend will be up for a visit. Should be a lot of fun. They are coming up to celebrate Father's day. I'm really hoping the gift we got Dad will arrive in time. I know that he is going to love it! (Sorry, you'll have to be kept in suspense until he gets it. There is no way I want to chance ruining the surprise.)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Life
I finally get to sit down. Today was a really busy day. I woke up early and went into work to get some things ready for the upcoming busy start of summer hours before my students arrived. Work went smoothly - the students are great.
Rushed home from work to pile into the van with my parents and younger siblings to head to a family reunion of sorts and see relatives I haven't seen in a while. It was a lot of fun to hear the stories. My grand uncle Randy commiserated with me on the ankle injury. It seems that when he was installing coke machines at a new restaurant for work one year he had slipped on ice and broke his ankle. Said the popping sound sounding like a 22 going off. Then my grand aunt Ree (I think that's how she's related to me) was telling me about the cougar that had wandered onto her property. She was going out to get the mail with her dog when she saw a cougar lying beside her driveway. She called her dog back and the dog came running, but so did the cougar. Bit the dog's head and Ree's reaction was to kick the cougar in the head. She didn't want it to get her dog. The cougar let go, the dog ran into the house, and Ree's initial instinct was to turn around and run into the house to, but then she thought better and started waving wildly and screaming at the cougar. It backed up about 15 yards and just stared at her. She slowly walked into the house and reported the attack to the game warden who said it was highly unusual for a cougar to act that way and granted permission to dispose of it if they should see it again. She was telling me she has pictures of it now, because the next morning it was down by the river on their property and her husband shot it. Her dog is fine. Healing from teeth marks on top of her head, behind her ear, and one in her lip/cheek. Played a washer game in which my grandmother and Ree claimed that they'd do horrible because they can't see well and ended up not doing half bad. Watched Jeffrey and Kandra chase each other around the Usk Lodge. Steven tried to join in and totally tripped. Cousin Kelli (technically she's my first cousin once removed, but cousin is easier to say) rode out on her Harley and when she started it up it scared Jeffrey. By later in the afternoon he was able to over come his fear and Kelli let him sit on it and even rev the engine. He was beaming with happiness. Steven on the other hand ran screaming and crying the second that engine started and jumped anytime any engine started after that. We tried to get him close to the motorcycle once it was off, but he wanted nothing to do with it.
Then we got home with enough time for Mom to change and me to go drop Dad off so that he could pick up his car, before Mom and I needed to be at the church with the goodies she had baked for Sandie's funeral. She was a beautiful woman. A great mother and friend to many. I didn't know her well, but I do know that she always had a smile for me each Sunday. She's the Mother of our worship director Ed. A really fun guy who I think inherited a lot of his love of life and music from his Mom. Turns out she's also the Grandmother of a gal I went to school with and ran into today. I'll have to catch up with Jamie sometime soon. Anyway, Sandie was a published poet and just loved to write poetry. They shared two really wonderful poems of hers in the program and I really want to write them down here.
"Vision
This child....
This child...
By S.M. Garvas"
"Gifts
First... You.
There was love then... and You.
You came then... riding a raindrop.
Sunshine bubbled in through the keyhole and there You were.
Now the time has moved.
Four gifts... giving pride and joy...
Infecting all with your zest for living.
When the earth has gone black
The colors of your souls will still dance
And in this end time the last whispering
The world is richer because of you.
By S. M. Gavras 1978"
Just like she had written on Easter Sunday - Sandie is now dancing with the Lord. I think the Pastor put it best when he said, "her address has just changed. When a friend moves, we cry because we miss them, but we know we will see them again. This is no different." {I don't claim to have a perfect memory, but that was the gist of it.} The service was beautiful. I'm sure Sandie was smiling down as her son played for her. Amazing Grace made me cry. That's the song they started with and that was the song that I insisted I needed to sing at Mikey's funeral. I had to give him that gift - even though it was hard not to break down as I sang. Mikey's dancing too. Who knows, he may have pulled out a violin to play while Sandie dances. They are both in the Lord's loving arms.
May your life be filled with joy and the little moments and may God's love shine upon you.
Rushed home from work to pile into the van with my parents and younger siblings to head to a family reunion of sorts and see relatives I haven't seen in a while. It was a lot of fun to hear the stories. My grand uncle Randy commiserated with me on the ankle injury. It seems that when he was installing coke machines at a new restaurant for work one year he had slipped on ice and broke his ankle. Said the popping sound sounding like a 22 going off. Then my grand aunt Ree (I think that's how she's related to me) was telling me about the cougar that had wandered onto her property. She was going out to get the mail with her dog when she saw a cougar lying beside her driveway. She called her dog back and the dog came running, but so did the cougar. Bit the dog's head and Ree's reaction was to kick the cougar in the head. She didn't want it to get her dog. The cougar let go, the dog ran into the house, and Ree's initial instinct was to turn around and run into the house to, but then she thought better and started waving wildly and screaming at the cougar. It backed up about 15 yards and just stared at her. She slowly walked into the house and reported the attack to the game warden who said it was highly unusual for a cougar to act that way and granted permission to dispose of it if they should see it again. She was telling me she has pictures of it now, because the next morning it was down by the river on their property and her husband shot it. Her dog is fine. Healing from teeth marks on top of her head, behind her ear, and one in her lip/cheek. Played a washer game in which my grandmother and Ree claimed that they'd do horrible because they can't see well and ended up not doing half bad. Watched Jeffrey and Kandra chase each other around the Usk Lodge. Steven tried to join in and totally tripped. Cousin Kelli (technically she's my first cousin once removed, but cousin is easier to say) rode out on her Harley and when she started it up it scared Jeffrey. By later in the afternoon he was able to over come his fear and Kelli let him sit on it and even rev the engine. He was beaming with happiness. Steven on the other hand ran screaming and crying the second that engine started and jumped anytime any engine started after that. We tried to get him close to the motorcycle once it was off, but he wanted nothing to do with it.
Then we got home with enough time for Mom to change and me to go drop Dad off so that he could pick up his car, before Mom and I needed to be at the church with the goodies she had baked for Sandie's funeral. She was a beautiful woman. A great mother and friend to many. I didn't know her well, but I do know that she always had a smile for me each Sunday. She's the Mother of our worship director Ed. A really fun guy who I think inherited a lot of his love of life and music from his Mom. Turns out she's also the Grandmother of a gal I went to school with and ran into today. I'll have to catch up with Jamie sometime soon. Anyway, Sandie was a published poet and just loved to write poetry. They shared two really wonderful poems of hers in the program and I really want to write them down here.
"Vision
This child....
Born into September winds.
Dakota dust in her bones
and cradled in sweet prairie grass.
Into winter skies she sang her song;
danced barefoot through spring rain;
tasted the joy of summer's freedom.
This child...
Saw in her mother's eyes
the histories of family and smiled
while in her father's arms - held high,
the stars grew bright
and with her baby fingers
touched tomorrow.
By S.M. Garvas"
"Gifts
From very near I heard the cries
storming sterile rooms
and coming to rest at last on my abandoned belly.
I saw you all...
each face a wrinkled miracle.
There was promise and continuation
while I counted fingers and toes;
my love already nine months comfortable within me.
I searched out separate souls, divided by years,
versioned them limitless...
then waited as each journey began.
First... You.
Silently touching beauty, becoming quietly strong.
Fragile grace and blue moonlight shine from you.
You are cold days, chocolate candy
and carnations in a crystal vase.
You are crisp lettuce and winter snows.
You are perfection personified.
You move through moods like cars on the freeway,
always in motion with tears forever near the surface.
You are stubborn like the grass
clinging to life at desert's edge.
And you are woman.
There was love then... and You.
Oh the smiles that came from your soul!
They touched me with brown velvet
and warmed my weary spirit.
You are summer storms
filled with lightning and crashing thunder.
You are penny arcades, pizza parlors
and pride wrapped in cellophane.
You are salt and pepper and Halloween.
Holding tightly to the child in you,
you grope towards manhood, unafraid... risking.
You came then... riding a raindrop.
Quiet and sure like the steady rain of Fall.
You filled my life with shades of summer green.
You are curiosity and macaroni and cheese.
You are books and school and English tea.
You wear a ready laugh like an extra pocket
and can see smiles everywhere.
You carry comfort and caring and an absent-mindedness
born of tenacious concentration.
You totter on the brink of adolescence.
The awareness growing strong in you.
Sunshine bubbled in through the keyhole and there You were.
Anxious to love and laugh.
You rushed at life like a mountain stream
Tumbling towards low ground in the springtime.
You are the orange-red of fireworks;
The music half hidden in the embers.
You are Yogurt and cheese and the mouse in my heart.
You are giggles and marbles and mess.
You are Christmas with a coke in your hand.
You are eternal questions and dirt on Sunday pants.
You run after the rest, impatient to be always bigger,
and the taste of life is especially sweet for you.
Now the time has moved.
I have watched you all grow.... traveling in this
uncertain, unsettled space.
Four gifts... giving pride and joy...
surprise and affection; unquestioned acceptance,
and total tolerance;
Infecting all with your zest for living.
When the earth has gone black
and only pale shafts of dust remain...
The colors of your souls will still dance
in that softer, shadowy playground.
And in this end time the last whispering
ghosts in the Universe
will know as I do now...
The world is richer because of you.
By S. M. Gavras 1978"
Just like she had written on Easter Sunday - Sandie is now dancing with the Lord. I think the Pastor put it best when he said, "her address has just changed. When a friend moves, we cry because we miss them, but we know we will see them again. This is no different." {I don't claim to have a perfect memory, but that was the gist of it.} The service was beautiful. I'm sure Sandie was smiling down as her son played for her. Amazing Grace made me cry. That's the song they started with and that was the song that I insisted I needed to sing at Mikey's funeral. I had to give him that gift - even though it was hard not to break down as I sang. Mikey's dancing too. Who knows, he may have pulled out a violin to play while Sandie dances. They are both in the Lord's loving arms.
May your life be filled with joy and the little moments and may God's love shine upon you.
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