Another Funeral

Another funeral today. For a member of our Dementia support group (the caregiver, not the spouse). 
This man had several siblings, seven kids, 20 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, none of whom I knew. But having such a large family seemed to me a kind of legacy I'll never have. That made me sadder for myself than for him.

The music was lovely -- gorgeous soprano pianist/singer. The priest was Asian, and his voice was soft and difficult to comprehend -- of course it could be my hearing is going downhill -- but I didn't feel he had anything uplifting to say outside of the Catholic ritual itself. I guess what I like to hear at such services is more about the person himself. Perhaps that was done at the rosary last night, I don't know. My faith in an afterlife is pretty dim, and I believe memories are the main way we live on. I need to get out there and make more memories!

Last week's funeral/memorial service, for the mom of one of my fellow teachers, was held in a Quaker Meeting House. We sang music the woman loved, and her family and friends shared memories of her. There was lots of potluck food afterwards. I felt flashbacks of when my mom died, 15 years ago now. This woman was the same age as my mom would have been, yet she had 15 more years of life and love. I wish she and my kids and I could have had that time.

A few months ago there was another funeral. This one was for the husband of one of the caregivers support group members. It was held at the Santa Clara Mission Church where Greg and I were married, and the reception was in the Faculty Club, where our reception was. It felt like a big spiral was whirling through my life. The widow has already found a new male friend, which seems to me to be an act of amazing courage and optimism. I can't imagine it. I can't even imagine wanting to.

Crab walk

Down at Rio del Mar State Beach yesterday morning, there were hundreds of crabs, largest about palm-sized, washed up on the beach, stranded on their backs when the tide went out. Some of them were still struggling to right themselves; some had died or given up. Oddly, the gulls weren't swooping in for the crab feed. Maybe they'd already eaten their fill before we came? So, one by one, Margee and I used our toes to turn them over, so they could scoot back to the sea. We didn't notice that they actually did that, but at least they didn't look so helpless. 

There was also a bonanza of sand dollars (mostly dead) on the beach, including lots and lots of tiny ones -- sand nickels and dimes? I've collected a few of these before, but they're so delicate, they don't last. I wonder if there is a way to preserve them? I can imagine them adorning my greeting cards or becoming jewelry.

It's still amazing to me how much the beaches change day to day, week to week. In the spring the caves at Davenport were wide open, you could stand up in them, then last month they were all filled with sand. Pescadero Beach rocks were covered with anemones and multicolored starfish last year, then the next time I went, the beach was almost sand-less with rounded ping pong ball sized rocks and no starfish to be seen. The Beach at the Santa Cruz Wharf was rotten with seaweed the week before Fourth of July. Almost no seaweed a couple of weeks later. 

I'm beginning to think I need to move to a beachside community!

The Biscuit Palace,
French Quarter, New Orleans

This was a quaint old (1820) guest house 

a block off 

Bourbon Street, walking distance to  everything.

(For some reason I couldn't get these photos to stay in order -- everytime I added a new one all the other ones jumped around)

Welcome to my room -- third floor up 44 winding steps which provided me with my daily workout. My brother and his wife and her daughter stayed on the first floor! Note the tin ceilings. Nothing mass produced about this place.

The view out my kitchen window -- houses are on Bourbon Street, which provided lots of background noise, but not the jazzy music we expected.

My bed, comfortable despite its evident age.

Murals and faux finishes everywhere -- these lizards were on the kitchen counter tops.

The little kitchen area had a window to provide cross breezes and a view out over the rooftops of Bourbon Street.

Self-portrait

Murals on the medicine cabinet/mirror

Peach orchards and cotton fields on the walls in the bathroom, and a clawfooted tub it was a challenge to climb in and out of.

Sunrise from my balcony

Steve watching t.v.  in their ground-floor room

Steve  and Donna's room, complete with twelve foot ceilings (tin) bath en suite

My balcony (shared with another room)

Unusual murals in their kitchen area!

The inner courtyard of the establishment, complete with koi pond!

They moved me to another room the last night there -- just as elegant but not as funky.

Faux marble finish on the fireplace.

New Orleans trip

Here I go again trying to post photos -- why does it never seem to work the same way twice? Tomorrow I'll try the same thing with the photos from my iPhone.

Me by the riverfront -- it was so cold I had to buy a sweatshirt to add under my windbreaker and over my sweater and socks to keep my toes warm!

Art everywhere -- Donna and Julie admiring local art near Jackson Square. Julie bought a lot. I restrained myself, but somehow spent all my money anyway!

It is required to have coffee and beignets here, but once is enough. 

My most interesting breakfast was a baked sweet potato with pecan syrup and powdered chocolate at the French Market.

Lots of walking. These are Donna's and my happy shadows on the moonwalk near the Cafe du Monde.

Steve and I went on a Eco Swamp Tour -- saw gators, wild canaries, snakes, turtles, a giant spider and a great blue heron, but you had to be pretty fast to get a picture of any of them.

This fishing boat was blown up  the Pearl River from the Gulf by Hurricane Katrina, and is still there seven years later. We also toured the lower Ninth Ward, but it was too depressing to take pictures.

Shrimp boat -- I ate a lot of seafood: shrimp, crawfish, crab, and a fish called Drumm, and tasted mussels -- I wasn't quite brave enough to try turtle or gator sausage.

We were told this was near the place where they filmed Beasts of the Southern Wild, athough it looked pretty tame!

Swamp wildflowers. We learned the difference between a swamp and a marsh and a bayou and a slough. It was beautiful and creepy and mysterious.

I'm glad I didn't have to find my way around.

Cypress trees and their "knees" (actually part of the roots.)

This great blue heron was called George by the boat captain, totally unfazed by passing tourists.

April weekend

Rio Del Mar Beach with Margee and Joey -- a beautiful day, not crowded despite the fact that it is Spring Break week. 

There were a few shells and bits of beach glass, if you were willing to wade out a bit to get them. but the biggest surprise was a ladybug on the beach!

 

The cats are happy to have warm sunshine, and I discovered all of them taking advantage of the chaise lounges and cat beds in the backyard, which smells of a bumper crop of wisteria blossoms. 

Looking down at Alameda Creek from the bridge

Little Yosemite -- not much water, but a lot of rocks, and yes, those are people down there!

Another successful hike.

I went on a short hike to the Little Yosemite area of Sunol Regional Wilderness with the Singleaires. 

There were lots of wildflowers, given the fact that it has been a dry year: California poppies, several varieties of lupines, johnny jump-ups, popcorn flowers, sticky monkey flowers, virgin's bower, wild hyacinths, globe lilies, yarrow, and something my expert companions assured me were called blue dicks!

March 31, 2013

I'm not very comfortable with "entertaining" but at Noelle's suggestion, I agreed to host Matt's 29th birthday/Easter/Game of Thrones Third Season Opener Party. I may have gone a bit wild with sigils, decorations, themed foodstuffs, costumes, party games, prizes. Exhaustion! Here are a few pictures from my iPhone (I was too busy to take all the pictures I wanted to -- maybe there will be some good ones from other people's cameras.)

Iron Throne -- butter knife version

Wight -- they must burn to truly die

Ser Matthew of House Hively

Dish Garden Making  Margee, Channah, Noelle, Matt

Lin as Catelyn (taken by Channah!)

Margee as Melisandre

Flaming Castle Nameday Cake

Clash of Vegetables Stew

Guest of Honor on Iron Throne -- cardboard version

Eddie, Ian, Margee at the Feast

The Great Cats vs. Dogs Debate

I subbed last night for the Advanced ESL teacher -- she had assigned them to prepare for a debate on Which is a Better Pet, Cats or Dogs? What fun! There were about 15 people on each side (I don't think they necessarily reflected their true opinions -- only one student actually had any pets at the present time, and she had one of each.) I had to repress my own opinions, of course. Good opportunity to generate real communication and interesting vocabulary (drool, litter box, vermin, loyalty, obedience, purr)! 

Margee's Joey at Davenport

Inky helping me at my computer

I learned about packs of wild dogs in Mexico City and lizard- and snake-catching cats, folk remedies involving cat saliva and the warm cat cure for backaches. Some of the students came armed with extensive internet research. Some shared childhood experiences. Dogs say different things in different languages (wong-wong, how-how, kow-kow) but all cats say meow! 

Owen, Scarlett and Marylin at Davenport

Twinkletoes on the patio

I had to call the debate a draw, although there seemed to be more good AND bad things noted about dogs. I don't think you can say one or the other is a better pet for everyone -- it's all a matter of individual needs and personalities. More movies have been made about dogs, but more internet videos about cats!