Flaming June's Love

  I am Retired. That means to me that I don't get up in the morning and head to work anymore. That means I dont fly by the seat of my pants with the windows still covered in ice, and the car defrosters in overdrive... blowing cold. I no longer pull into "my spot" with my students standing on the the ramp to the back door waiting for me to either unlock the door or start my class.  Sometimes both. My memories of arriving at Fortis vary, drastically.  I had 7 different offices.  Some were well put together home away from homes, and others were places I would drop my stuff and put my head down to cry. I arrived at Fortis married to Tim.  I went through a brutal breakup and divorce there, I met Andy and we tussled quite a few times there.  I had a miscarriage in the bathroom there, when I was pregnant with Tim's baby and realized the marriage was now going to be officially over.   I made amazing friends that I thought I would never ever lose touch wit...

  I was due for a stress test since November, but the two previous appts we had a snowstorm and I had Covid so they were postponed.  Today was the appt.  Andy played his part of "Ill take care of this" and we went down yesterday to Philadelphia.  As we normally do we stopped into a few antique shops and for a nice dinner,  then we went for our swim in the hotel pool.   Swimming in the hotel pool has always been something we try to do before "big" appts.  When I had my stent placed almost 4 years ago the night before we floated around the Hilton pool for a few hours.  I remember telling him what to do if I should not make it through.  It was one of the only times he was actually listening to me.  Last night we were the only ones there and the water was warm.  The pool is on the fourth floor with a glass ceiling that when Andy turns down the pool lights (which he shouldnt do) you can see some of the night sky.  We float and ...

 Jack attends Wyoming Seminary which is proud to have the number one Wrestling team in the COUNTRY.   I grew up in a wrestling house.  My brothers wrestled since they were in elementary school.  I remember the nights my Dad would move all of the furniture out of the living room on Myrtle Ave and he would set the boys to wrestle.  Which always ended in a fight, blood, crying by someone (me included) my mother crying and upset.  My Dad loved it.  As a child I would dread those nights, I have no idea how the boys liked it.  That said, I know how to score a wrestling match, most of the moves (by sight) and how those moves hurt (by experience)   We went to the matches to watch the boys wrestle and went to meets that they didnt wrestle in.  We had a Wrestling High School.  Then when we moved to PA I had girls.  The last wrestling meet I attended before the other night was when my son in law Ryan wrestled in high school....

The School Parking Lot   Here I was sitting waiting for our Owen to come out after school today.  I walk to the front doors of this lovely school and they dismiss the children from youngest to oldest.  So our boy is one of the first groups to leave.  As I sit here, waiting for my time to emerge from my car, I am flooded with memories.  SO SO many.   This was Jacks elementary school from prek to 8th grade.  We struggled man, hard hard.  But we also had some shining moments.  Now I sit here and wait for my Owen who has ALL shining moments.  We leave school with children saying goodbye to him from all corners.  Boys and girls giving him hugs or back bumps for the day complete.  Then he climbs into the car and says it was a good day.  I accept that.  I tell him im proud of him and that is that. There is no dissection of the day, class by class teacher by teacher.  Hes just a regular boy that is happy going home ...

 Happy New Year to those friends and family and strangers that have followed along for these so many years.   Welcome to 2024!! Quick ask yourself what year is it!>>>??? How old are you>>>??? How old do you feel, inside, what year is it in your bones???  In your heart>> Andy Jack and I have gone for our New Years day walk almost every year.  We head on down to the Lehigh river trail system and find a spot to jump on.  We have photos of snowy freezing days sunny days and seemingly the historic rainy day.  It wasn't raining today just gray and damp.  Chilly, around 33 but a really nice walk day.   We walked about three miles today.  I have been really suffering with Plantar Fasciitis for almost a year.  SO my walking, to say the least has been really hampered.  I went back to the Podiatrist the week before Christmas and he WHACKED ME WITH STEROID INJECTIONS>  Phew I nearly went through the roo...

This picture of the girls and I on the bed, makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.  No matter how old we all get I can see my babes in this picture.  I had jumped into their bed to say goodnight and Missi just rolled over and was snuggled in the space between the mattresses.  She sleeps on her stomach, always has.  When I snapped it, it wasn't that unusual, until I looked at it later and realized how crazy it looked.  Allie and both look totally pleased with ourselves, nothing new.   This one is from Kaleigh and Gio's rehearsal dinner.  The four of us were totally happy and relaxed.  I don't know if we will ever have another moment like this again.  Ever.  But we had it then and I am so grateful for that.    Look at that moon.  We sang along, danced along, loved along.  I couldn't love this anymore. I will create another post describing the best wedding I have ever attended.  For so so many reason...

 Living in NJ as a child we grew up waiting for our trips to PA.  That was who we were, on the inside.  I often had a challenge trying to explain that my family lived in Pennsylvania. What family?  Your Mom Dad and brothers are here, do you mean your grandparents?   Well, yes, them and my Aunts Uncles, great Aunts Uncle, and cousins... endless amounts of cousins. The cousins, were not just people you know of.. my cousins are my people.  Generations of our family I can see in my mind.  I have loved generations of these families and we are all bound by history that tells us... Don't let it go. It surely isn't perfect, there are small pods of people that may have some issues, yes that's true. I can say, I'm sorry about that.  But in reality, we always come back. So my memories of Christmas eves driving with my siblings and parents to get to Wilkes Barre and the unbridled excitement.  Mom told me a story the other day, I'd like to share....