A Birthday Letter From My Dad And A Childhood Song

Tomorrow on March 16th, 2008, I will be celebrating my birthday. I will be 65 years old. About six weeks ago I received a beautiful letter from my dad. It is written to his three daughters and is an expression of his love for us, his enjoyment of being our dad, and the importance of family to him.

I wanted to share it because I think I was pretty lucky to have him for a dad and to have grown up feeling very loved and that I mattered.

He is 95 years old now and lives just 35 minutes from me. I got a birthday card from him and he included a note saying he would call to set up a time to take me to lunch. Lunch will be at Perkins and he will have pancakes.

Here is his letter..if you click on the letter it will come up in a larger screen and will be easier to read.

The music I have put on is a tape of my dad singing the song he used to sing to me when I was a little girl. I think he was in his 70's when he taped this for me. I think it is really special and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. The name of the song is "That Little Girl Of Mine."

Please click the forward button to play and enjoy my dad's singing.

Thank you Dad! I love you!

A Nice Night...continued....Part 3

The other night when Sarah, Joe, Punkin, Derek and I were talking on the phone, Punkin said he wanted to draw a picture for gramma. While the rest of us talked, Punkin started to draw and the first picture he drew touched my heart so much. Punkin knows I love to swing on the swing in their back yard. This is a picture of gramma swinging. I nearly cried when I saw it!

Gramma swinging

Sarah took a picture of his picture and sent it to me in email. Then he said, "Wait, I have to add something. And, Sarah took another picture with the addition. He had to add the words, "This is the best," because he said, "That is what you always say, Gramma!" He also added himself on the swing, which you can see a little bit of to the left of the words. I always tell him, "I love to swing with you!"

This is the best

Then he said, "Mom, I want to write Gramma a story. So he wrote, "One day, Davey was going to Gramma's house." Below his words, he drew himself on the left and me or my house on the right and the line in between is how he got there.

Going to visit Gramma

And, I bet you can guess what he did next. He said, "Wait, I have to add something," right after Mom took the picture. I also bet you know what he needed to add!"

"I love you"

I love you too, Punkin, and I see you even added a little heart!

Thank you Punkin for all your pictures and your story! This was the very first story you have ever written me!

I Love You Too Punkin....A Nice Night Continued...

It was such a nice night on the phone last night. Punkin is entering a new stage now. He loves to draw and write. He drew me quite a few pictures and wrote a little story which I will post tomorrow.

This top photo is one of Punkin (Davey) pointing to a flower. He told me he wanted to give me my favorite thing for my birthday, which is Sunday. He knows I love flowers. He said to me on the phone, "I am pointing to it gramma."

His mom, Sarah, informed him that he couldn't give me that flower because he had given it to her for her birthday! But, I loved the thought and that he knows how much I love flowers.

He drew lots of pictures while we talked on the phone. Sarah took pictures of his pictures with her cell phone and then sent them via email. It was just so nice. Punkin's love overflows and touches so many people. I am glad I am one of them.

I love you too, Punkin!

How nice is this?

A Nice Night

I was talking to my friend, Joe, in Ireland tonight on skype. The phone rang and it was my little grandson, Davey. Davey is 4 1/2 years old and we often talk on the phone. Every now and then he shares me with Derek, his 2 1/2 year old brother. The boys wanted to talk to Joe too, so I arranged it so everyone could hear each other.

Things were going along just fine until something happened and Derek started to cry. And, at one point Davey started to cry too.

And, then something really nice happened. Joe started to sing a little song he made up, and both boys started to laugh and giggle and want more and more and more. Joe just kept singing.

Joe and I ultimately helped tuck the boys into bed. We stayed on the phone and they said their nighttime prayer, which is the one my parents taught me as a child, and the one I taught my children, and now it is the one my children are teaching their children.

Jesus Savior
Wash away
All that has been wrong today
Help me everyday to be
Good and gentle
More like thee
Amen

It was a really beautiful night shared with our friend, Joe, all the way across the ocean in a faraway country called Ireland.

The video is what I could capture of Joe singing while I was trying to balance my earphones, the speaker phone and the camera.

You are loved, Joe!

You should just be able to click on the arrow and get the video. I surely hope it works for everyone.





This is a picture of Derek laughing while Joe was singing. How nice it is to make such a nice difference in a little boy's life.

Thank You Adam

I got an email today from my son, Adam. He is so nice! And, he took the time to do something very nice just for me. Thank you, Adam!

I have posted Adam's email below............and the result of his email below that.........

Mom,

I thought your post on Totally Twisted was so much fun that I emailed a link to your post to Herbal Essences. They just got back to me today. I hope you don't mind that I did this.

Adam (You will find my post, Totally Twisted, under March 10, 2008)

"Thank you for contacting Herbal Essences. We appreciate you taking the time to tell us how your mom feels about Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Shampoo.

Your letter will be shared with the brand managers, research scientists, quality control specialists, consumer representatives and the entire product team. We are certain they will be delighted with your/her comments.

We make every effort to provide the highest quality products and services for our customers. We are sending her a complimentary coupon good for any Herbal Essences product of her choice.

You will receive her coupon by postal mail in 14-21 days. Please accept it with our best wishes."

The Consumer Relations Team

Name Changes

My son, Adam, wrote a short post today about his son, Kallsen, calling him Dad for the first time today. Up until today, Adam has been Daddy. (Kallsen is 3 years old)

Well, my question is............

When did my three children start calling me Judy?

Actually, I think only Sarah and Adam call me Judy. I don't know that Kara ever did.

Now, I answer to just about anything so long as it is Mom, Mommy, Judy, Gramma, Memah, Honey or Darling. Yep...........

I am a happy woman of many names.......all said with Love!

Totally Twisted

When I was at the grocery store yesterday, I stood in the shampoo aisle looking over tons of shampoos. I wanted to try something new. I didn't want to make the trip to the mall to get the expensive salon brand I usually buy. I read labels and opened caps and followed the directions to press here so I could get a whiff of the fragrance of each shampoo.

And, when I saw this one by Herbal Essences, I knew I had found the one I wanted to try. I liked the name, Totally Twisted. It made me smile. I liked that it was for curls and waves, which I have. I thought to myself, if this smells good and can give me a soothing and calming experience in addition to curls and waves control, it is the one for me.

I tried it this morning. Honest to goodness, who knew a new shampoo could be so exciting? I put some in my hand and it felt rich and silky. When I put it in my hair, it felt rich and silky, it lathered up really well, and made my hair feel thicker. I thought to myself, am I making this up? I knew I wasn't.

When I dried my hair and started to style it, I said to myself, "Wow, this is great!" My hair was more manageable and seemed to have more body and control. I was truly impressed.

So, I am singing the praises of my new shampoo find. It smells good, works great, and is somewhere between $3.00 and $6.00 per bottle. I am going to buy out all the stores in case they stop making it so I will have plenty on hand.

Who knew happiness could be affordable and found in a bottle of shampoo?

The Good News And The Bad News

Actually, I have bad news, then good news, then bad news. Don't worry! It is nothing serious.

One of the bad news things is I thought I had nothing to write about today. The good news is.........I do have something to write about. The next bad news is I don't have time to write about it right now. But............

Rest assured! I will be doing a post later today. Perhaps, I have built up too much excitement here. We will see, won't we?

This might be an exercise in finding news where there is none. And, then again, it might change someone else's world like it has changed mine....and, it is affordable!

A Nice Healthy Recipe

Since I have been on my new eating program and choosing to make lifestyle changes, I have been adding new food choices to my diet. I have been reading articles and books on Glycemic Index foods and generally the foods that are good choices.

Based on my reading I made a soup/stew the other day that was totally delicious and there is not one thing in it that is not good for me.

The ingredients are.....

1 1/4 lbs ground turkey

4 oz whole wheat healthy harvest pasta

2 cans of Progresso low sodium Minnestone soup

2 cans of diced tomatoes (15 oz)

2 cans of tomato sauce (15 oz)

1 can of dark red kidney beans (15 oz drained and rinsed)

black pepper

minced onion

Mrs. Dash's Table Blend seasoning

Mrs. Dash's Onion and Herb seasoning

Mrs. Dash's Tomato/Basil/Garlic seasoning

Brown the ground turkey and minced onion. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the soup, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and seasonings to the browned turkey and minced onion. Drain and add the pasta and let simmer.

This makes a nice big pot of soup/stew depending on how much you let it thicken.

The truth is...If I had ordered this at a restaurant, I would have wanted the recipe and Tom said a number of times how good it was!

It's Official

Yep! It's official! I am now an official subscriber of Medicare. As of March 1, 2008, I entered the ranks of health insurance that I remember my parents talking about.

I knew it was going to happen. I knew there would be decisions to make. There was talk of Medicare, supplemental plans and prescription plans. There was talk of which doctor you could go to and it all seemed like things old people did.

Ok, I am laughing! I am not old. I just have to do things old people do.

It is now March 5, 2008 and all the decisions have been made. I have two of my three health cards and the third is on the way. And, if there is anything I have decided that I want to change, I must know the window of time in which those changes can be made.

I did make one decision that gave me great pleasure. In fact, I looked forward to it. It symbolized what felt like a huge life transition....that of changing health plans. It is right up there with confirmation, graduation from high school, going to college, getting married, having children, taking and leaving jobs and anything else that alters your life in a significant way.

The decision I made was to shred my old health insurance stuff. There was something that just felt good about doing it. It marked an end and it marked a beginning. I don't like endings nearly as much as I like beginnings. It just seems they go together. It is like we can't say hello to the new until we say good bye to the old.

The Shredder On Shredding Day March 1, 2008

My Dad And Food

This is the most recent picture I have of my Dad. It is from Christmas 2007

You have to understand my dad and food. I don't know what it is or exactly how he does it, but he can make food sound better and look better than anyone I know. In fact, when my friend Joe visited last year, he and my daughter, Kara, and I went out to lunch with my dad. Joe said on the way home, "There are just some people you enjoy watching them eat!" And, Joe was right.

Ever since I was a child I would watch my dad get his plate ready to eat. By the time he was ready to take his first bite, the rest of us were halfway done with our food. At that point, all I wanted was to take a taste of his food. And, I did! Was it as good as it looked? What is your guess?

I can hear a resounding "YES!"

Well, believe it or not, what I just wrote was not the point of this post at all. Go ahead, laugh! You know, one thought does lead to another, and if you hang around long enough, eventually I will get around to my original thought.

Which was................

I had a nice talk with my dad yesterday. He called and we ended up talking for about 45 minutes. During the course of the conversation he told me he had just finished his lunch. I asked him, "What did you have for lunch?" Now, we are getting to the point of this post.

He said, "Well, I had a burrito." This is never enough information when you ask my dad what he has eaten. Never!

He went on to say, "I put it in the microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Then, I took it out and unwrapped it. Then, I put it on my plate. Then, I put butter on it. Then, I put sour cream on it. Then, I put salsa on it. Then, I put grated cheese on it."

I said, "Are you going to have your arteries checked?" He laughed and said, "That's the way I like it." I laughed and said, "Well, at 95 years old I think you can do exactly as you want."

He laughed. I laughed. We laughed. Then, he told me how he learned to fix a burrito this way. You see, the story is never really over.

It makes you want to watch him fix that plain old burrito and turn it into a delicious work of art.

I bet even if you didn't like burritos you would want to take just one little bite.

Davey Reading Because He Wants To

Sarah sent an email today letting me know that Davey (I call him Punkin) had picked up a book today to read at the table. I think it was Goodnight Moon. He is 4 1/2 years old and loves to read and figure words out.

It looks like Derek might be helping out a little. I think Davey's expression says it all. How wonderful it is to watch a little one learn new things and enjoy them so much!

This evening the phone rang. I said. "Hello." And, Davey said, "Hi, Gramma!" I said, "Hi, Punkin!" And, Punkin said, "I want you to come over Gramma." I said, "I will come over real soon Punkin. I promise."

What is it about a simple phone call that makes you feel so loved?

Lunar Eclipse And A Memory

Last night, February 20, 2008, we got to see the last total lunar eclipse until the year 2010. Even though it was cloudy the moon was quite visible.

I remember the first time I saw a lunar eclipse. It was winter and I must have been in second or third grade. We lived in an upstairs apartment across from the Chaska City Park. My friend, who lived next door to us, and I were ice skating on the ice rink her dad had made for her in their yard. I remember standing there knowing something magical was happening and just being aware of the cold on my face and seeing my breath in the air. That would have been maybe 58 years ago.

Some things in life just take your breath away. Some of those things still take your breath away.

Yet A New Visitor

We have lived in our house since August of 1979. How many years is that? I believe that comes out to be 28 1/2 years. We have seen pheasants, ducks, owls, bunnies, foxes, raccoons, deer, one wild turkey, something that looked like a very weird, quite tall, long legged cat that made me think it was a bobcat, and now the other day I looked out the patio door and said, "What is that?"

It seems we had yet a new visitor who must have smelled remnants of the crackers and cereal Tom and Amelia put out under the bird feeder. Our newest visitor is the first possum we have seen.

I just love living here!

All My Love My Darling

Here is another video of one of the songs the Chamber Singers did at the Valentine's dinner February 15.

Unchained Melody

A Very Nice Night

On Friday night, February 15, Tom and I took our daughter, Kara and her husband, Sam, to a Valentine's Dinner/Concert at our church. Tom, who is a member of the Chamber Singers, was part of the entertainment.

We had a choice of either Glazed Game Hen or Pork Roast, couscous, vegetables and a yummy delicious salad with warm rolls and breadsticks. Dessert was a beautiful sponge cake with the lightest, airiest cream filling and chocolate icing.

There was, however, a near mishap toward the end of the meal. You know how you save the best and the last bite of the dessert to savor?

Well.....let me tell you....the lady clearing the table had her hand on my dessert plate with the saved bite still sitting there and was about to remove my plate ..... HELP!

I don't think I have ever moved so fast or grabbed a hand so quickly! Add sound effects to this scene and you can imagine the surprise and laughter that fell upon the faces of all those at the table. All turned out well!

The nice lady put my plate down with the deepest apologies and left me in peace to savor that glorious bite of splendid sponge cake!

It was a nice night!

Below is a video of one of the songs the Chamber Singers sang! I hope it works for you to hear it!

Today Is Better

I had a better night last night. While I still woke up early, I did not wake up in pain. I feel like I am coming down off the Prednisone. I have three more days in the weaning off process, but I already feel like maybe my body is returning to my pre-Prednisone and pre-Percoset state. And, in the last few days I have been feeling twinges in my thigh that make me think maybe the nerve is loosening up or something.

I have so little personal experience with health issues that I feel out of control when something like this happens. I guess that is a good thing. It seems the only other option would be to have experience which I really don't want either.

Ok....where is the good option here?

On the lighter side, I have lost 10.2 lbs now on my weight loss/lifestyle change program.

And, I received a beautiful basket of hand-dipped fruit last night from two lovely clients. The chocolate was decadent and the fruit delicious. Imagine if you can.....3 people...6 hands...3 pairs of lips covered in chocolate as we made our way through just a few of the delectable bites!

I am a happy and a lucky girl!

Pinched Nerve

About a week ago I woke up with what has been diagnosed as a pinched nerve. I had pain in my right hip and parts of my right thigh are still numb and hurt at times. I can honestly say I have never experienced pain like that before. I didn't sleep for two nights because I couldn't find anyplace or any position that was comfortable. It is a sad story when the most comfortable place in the house is lying on the bathroom floor touching cold porcelain for comfort.

I wish I was joking!

I have been to the chiropractor twice. My pain was so bad, he sent me to my doctor. She has put me on two medications...Prednisone for the inflammation and Percoset for the pain. I have discontinued the Percoset and am weaning off the Prednisone and for the first time in several nights I woke up with pain. And, that is why I decided to write a post today.

Maybe just talking about it a little will calm my thoughts.

I will see how the day goes and whether or not Ibuprofen will ease the pain. I don't want to take the Percoset. While it relieves the pain, I don't like the feeling or the reality I live in with it in my system. And, the truth is it keeps me on the other side of my freedom to be independent.

No driving on narcotics!

I will keep you posted and will accept any and all good energy and prayers for this new situation to be relieved and be back to my good health, have freedom from pain and some regained freedom of movement I have always had and appreciated.

Judy February 13, 2008....Thanks for listening!

Where Did The Time Go?

March 16 is coming up, and not only is it a special day since it is my birthday, but it marks the first day of the rest of my life. I know that sounds funny, but it feels so true.

I have not totally gone over the edge. I am just aware that when I was young, turning 65 seemed like something old people did and then all kinds of things changed. They talked about changing their health care providers and the doctors they could go to. My having to think about those things seemed a long way off.

Social Security Administration Building

Now, it is my turn. Last week, I visited the Social Security Administration to apply for Medicare. And, this week, I will visit my insurance agent to sign up for the supplemental plan that will cover what Medicare won't cover. And, now my new best friend's name is Mrs. Edwards who resides in the above building. Thank you Mrs Edwards for all your help. I wish I had gotten a picture of you.

Loving What You Do

I read an article today in my SparkPeople site (the online site I am using for my weight loss - change of lifestyle eating program, http://www.sparkpeople.com/). It was about loving what you do, feeling satisfied with what you do and how lucky some people are to have a job that they love to do. The article referenced sports as an example.

But, it went on to talk about how we can love what we need to do as well as love what we like to do. A lot of things fall into the first category...the things we need to do.

The article listed several ingredients that make doing what we need to do (the ones we don't especially enjoy) enjoyable and satisfying.

They are.............attentiveness to what we are doing....using our skills and talents....and using our creativity and imagination.

The author's example had to do with how to get back into exercise and how he ended up finding out that he loved to climb mountains and how it provided better exercise than going to his workout club and doing the stairmaster. He needed to be attentive, skillful and creative to keep his balance and not fall off the mountain.

The example that came to my mind was how to get the housework done (like cleaning the tub) when I had three little children within 18 months of each other vying for my attention. So, when it came time to do things, I made up little songs that made my work fun, entertained them and hopefully showed them that doing things we have to do can be enjoyable.....and the tub got cleaned to the song........

This is the way we clean the tub, clean the tub, clean the tub....this is the way we clean the tub...so early in the morning!

Can't you just smell the Comet and see three happy little faces as they watch their mom cleaning the tub? (She, of course, has a smile on her face too)

Not exactly climbing mountains is it? But, maybe it is the same thing. Sometimes, having to do things we don't want to do is like trying to either climb or move a mountain. I think the same principles apply.

Sometimes, climbing any kind of mountain is as much a mental game as a physical exercise. I, for one like to make what I have to do fun and enjoyable.

After all, this is the only day I know I have and I want to enjoy it no matter what I have to do!

Postscript....I am in my fifth week now of my new eating program and I have lost 9.2 lbs. I am right on target for losing between one and two pounds a week. I feel good, continue to be motivated and am using all the ingredients I have talked about in this post to make this journey fun and enjoyable, because it will be for life. I am attentive, using my good skills of thinking through things when I go to the grocery store and am being creative with eating some new and different foods.

Picture of me on February 5, 2008