Celebrate

Today is Valentine's Day, Sunday, Gunnar's Birthday and the Birthday of my late Grandmother.

Today, like everyday, there is lots to celebrate.

Today it's snowing like crazy so our plans to celebrate and go out to dinner have changed to plans of staying home, digging out the neighborhood and celebrate being together.

Gunnar gets to be extra spoiled today and eat Frosty Paws (beef flavored ice-cream), as well as play with Dad in the snow.

Deane gets to get spoiled and eat buttered scones and tea.

Cora gets to eat lunch with her boyfriend, the rest of their plans are moved to tomorrow, due to the snow.

Julian has plans for dinner out, I hope he gets to keep them!

I got beautiful chocolate covered strawberries, and get to spend the day baking, playing x-box and watching tv.

Life is good, all the time, life is good!

Go out and celebrate!

Injustice

About 2 months ago the University of Illinois decided to put parking meters up in all of their Handicap Parking spots.  These spots are in reserved parking lots owned by the University.  The University is perfectly within their rights to do this.

In 2014 the state of Illinois said it was OK to put meters up at all handicap spaces.  The state does issue special placards for those who would have trouble getting to a meter to pay it, but folks with the regular blue and white placards are expected to feed the meter, just like everyone else.

In reserved parking lots, you need to pay for a permit to park there.  Now, you also have to pay .75 per /hr to park in a handicap spot in that reserved lot.  That's $7.00 a day for an average 9 hour work day plus travel time to and from the parking lot, on top of the monthly ~$40 / month for the lot permit.  Everyone else who parks in the lot only pays the monthly fee.  They don't feed a meter.

From what I've seen, most of the handicap spaces on campus now go unused.

Folks don't like to have to double pay in order to park their cars for the work day.

Most handicap placard holders are probably doing what I had to do: provide extra documentation to the University (my placard wasn't enough) and pay extra to have my own, 24/7 reserved space, which is closer to my office than the handicap spot I used to use and cost the University more money to put up the permanent sign required.

On a side note, the cities of Champaign and Urbana still have free handicap spots on the street and in municipal lots.

I'm sure there's another side to this story, but I don't know what it is.

Look

These photo collages were part of my gift from Deane on the occasion of our 25th Wedding Anniversary this past December.

I could look at them forever!

They are now framed and hanging in our bedroom, where I get to look at them everyday.
I love the way they show how much we've shared over the years, but more than that, I love that we still look at each other the same way.

Voice

I See Fire - Cora Geiken

My daughter Cora has the most amazing voice!

I know, I'm her Mom, and I'm supposed to think she's awesome (and I do, and she IS!), but really, that girl can sing!

I can't sing.

Seriously, I'm terrible.

I'm so bad, that in High School, my drama club director used to have me be one of the first kids to do the vocal audition for the Spring Musical.  Once everyone heard how horrible I was, they weren't afraid to try out anymore.  I always got a part in the chorus.  I can dance, and as long as I sang quietly it all worked out.

I love to sing. I sing loudly in the car when no one is with me.  I sing in Church when I can follow Cora's voice (she dumbs it down so I can follow her).

My voice is not in my singing.  It appears in other ways.  Sometimes in writing, sometimes in listening, sometimes in speaking, sometimes in touching.

My voice is my own.


P.S. I apologize to those of you who are reading both my blog and Deane's.  I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of overlap on this Lenten Challenge.  I guess it's a testament to how close we are.  I promise, we're not doing it on purpose!

Gather

Gather is a very happy word to me.  To me it means pulling together things that I love.  I love to gather my friends and family and spend time with them.  I am seriously happiest when I am surrounded by people I care about.

I do like to have some alone time, time to gather my thoughts and gather my energy, but I get so much from being with others, it's hard for me to say no to being with them.

I am very fortunate to have great family and amazing friends. You give me life, thank you!

It's hard sometimes because it seems that we only gather if we, Deane and I, initiate it.  It would be nice to occasionally have someone else say, "Hey, let's get together and do something!".  Even Julie, the Cruise Director gets lonely sometimes.

Breathe

Here's a Throwback Thursday photo for you.  This is Cora massaging my hand for me while I was in the hospital. What does that have to do with today's word? I'll tell you.

One of the things I remember most about the time right after my accident, when things were often painful and generally bad, is the touch of my loved ones.  I could be down a deep, dark hole of pain, and feel Deane's touch on my hand and my heart rate would slow, my blood pressure would go down, I would breathe.

Somehow, just knowing that Deane, or Julian or Cora was there, touching me, was enough to bring me back from the edge. Their physical touch was more powerful than words.  It was comfort.

It still is.

If ever you need to bring comfort to a loved one; if you need to help them relax and breathe, try a simple touch.  Caress their hand, rub their neck, smooth the hair from their forehead.  Just be there, touch them, and watch them breathe.

Peace

I love my bed.

I sleep so peacefully here.

It is warm.

It is soft.

It is inviting.

It is romantic.

It is safe.

It is home.