Elves

My parents have been in Florida since November. During the winter months, the new owners of their house have remodeled their apartment. My parents will return on Sunday. My sister and I were given explicit instructions to not unpack all of their belongings that were stored away in back closets. My father said that when he got home, he would do it. We promised we would not touch anything. We lied. Yesterday we went to their house. The new owners had painted, installed a new bathroom, new windows and new sliding glass doors that lead onto a terrace that overlooks newly planted fruit trees. We went to the house to unpack the items that would turn their house back into their home. We unpacked lamps, pictures and "chachkas". Even though the new owners had a cleaning woman dust the apartment, we dusted again and my husband vacuumed and polished the furniture. I can't wait to see their faces when they walk in.

Old Fashioned Common Sense

In the past two weeks my staff has come to me with the same problem. The printer in their office was not working. Bear in mind that these people are doctors. They are smart. In each instance, they explained the issue. The computer does not send the information to the printer. They  tried rebooting it, new toners, new drum and filling it with paper. Last week I was called at home to troubleshoot the problem. When I got into my office the next day, I immediately diagnosed the problem. The cleaning people had unplugged the wire from the power source so they could vacuum. I did not need to go to techie school, nor have my PhD in computer studies. I just needed my common sense.

24 Hours

We are having a luncheon in work today. One of our research volunteers is leaving after one year. His visa is up so he needs to return to Switzerland for a few months. We decided to order wraps and salads for lunch. We called Stop n Shop yesterday at 9am to place the order. The girl who answered the phone said we had to call 24 hours in advance. Since we wanted to pick up the food at 7am, it was 22 hours in advance. She would not take the order. I questioned her as to why. She had the food and the wraps, so why couldn't she make the order. Even if I had called the day prior, the order would not have been put together until yesterday evening, since the pick up time today would have been early. Nothing would have been a special order. Nothing needed to be cooked. She said that the only reason was the 2 hours. I did not argue as I knew she was locked into the 24 hour rule. Instead, I called the deli on the corner and gave the order to a small business. Next time I will do that from the start.

In God's Hands

I am not a religious person. I am a spiritual one. I pray every day for my family. I live by the philosophy "so it is written". I never second guess why things happen. We are where we are, because that is what God intended for us. Good or bad, this is our destiny. I hope for the best, but I understand that what I think is best might not be what is in my life's plan. I tell this to my children. If something that you wish for does not come to fruition, then it was not meant to be. I feel at peace with my belief and I hope that throughout their lives they will too.

Three Years Old

Yesterday was my great niece's 3rd birthday party. It was in New Jersey. I am a New York girl and feel like a fish out of water on the Jersey roads. The ride was long but well worth it. The party was great. The gym was very interactive and every child had a huge smile on their face. They ran and played. When it was time for food, they gobbled down their pizza. Everyone had worked up an appetite. The pizza was followed by cupcakes baked into ice cream comes. The kids loved them. My grandson talked and sang the entire way home. My niece had a great party. She deserves the best of everything.

Finally Corrected

My husband has OCD. Some things in his life must be perfect. Other things that would bother other people, he is able to overlook. There is no rhyme or reason to his choices. About nine years ago, our golden retriever, Shannen, died at fourteen years of age. We were all heartbroken. We had her.cremated and have her remains in a box in the living room. My husband wanted to plant a garden for her and scatter some of her ashes over it, so she would remain a part of our house forever. He wanted to make a wooden placard and hang it over the garden. He bought the wood, shellac, wire and plastic letters for her name. He worked for hours on it and when it was finally ready, he showed it to me. The sign said "Shanene's Place". He spelled her name wrong. It seems that the store did not have any more "n" letters so he bought and extra "e". I told him that was ridiculous but he said that it did not matter. Everyone that passed her garden, for the last nine years, has commented on it and laughed. How can someone with OCD live with a sign with a wrong name? After the snowy winter, the letters on the sign fell off. This time, I made the sign. It says "Shannen's Place". Somewhere in doggy heaven, she is barking in delight.

National Guard

My son emailed me a great article. It was about the impact that grandparents have on a child's life. It said that the closer the bond was, the greater the child's overall social skills would be. It correlated the ability to bond with grandparents as a stepping stone to formulating bonds with other people, as the child grows. The article was from a magazine named "Over 60". I was touched that my son read the article and sent it to me. It validated what I already knew. There was one sentence in the article that rang true, above all others. It stated that grandparents are like the National Guard. They are always on call, ready, willing and able to come in to any situation with a moments notice. They will assess and take control in a calm manner. Although they play an important role, no one really thinks about thanking them as much as they should. The National Guard does not do their job to be thanked. They do it out of love and loyalty.

The Color Purple

Last year I bought a lilac colored nail polish at the dollar store. It was a beautiful color and stayed on for a few weeks without chipping. Everywhere I go, when I am wearing it, people stop me to compliment me. Old people and young people tell me that they love the color. When I had surgery last week, as I laid on the operating table, the nurses were asking me about the color. I have no idea why it is such a conversation piece. If I was running for office, all I would have to do is show up wearing this polish and I would win votes. For all of those interested, this brand is B.S.N. and the magical color number is 49.

Double Booked

This morning I am not going to work. I am going to play. I will be spending my day with my grandson. We have our usual routine on these days and the time flies. As he gets older, he is more interactive. I will be tired by the end of the day but it will be a good tired. Usually I would rest in the evening, but tonight I will be giving a workshop at a local high school. I wish I did not have to go. I am sure it will be fun but I would rather be watching television with a bowl of ice cream.

Hungry For Knowledge

Today we are having a work luncheon. The best way to get any doctor's attention is to talk to them while they are eating. This has been a well known fact in the medical world for years. If you did a lecture only, no one would show up. If you do a lecture with food, people will come. You will capture their attention as they eat the food you provide. Coffee and cake will not do the job. It must be hot food. Today we will have pizza.

Timeless

I know people that go away on vacation and just relax. I do not think I am capable of relaxing. I cannot remember the last time I had a clear mind. Maybe I was ten years old. When I go away, I still have responsibilities. I still have schedules. I still have worries. I watch the travel channel and see the beautiful resorts where people lie on the beach with a drink in their hands. Bora Bora or the French Polynesian Islands seem to be the most relaxing. I daydream that one day I will be lying there soaking in the atmosphere. I want to have a day that is timeless, literally. To get up when I want to. To eat when I am hungry. To spend the day without a clock. To be free.

Positive Attitude

Some people see the cup as half full. Some see it as half empty. I am usually the half full type of person but I am also realistic. Two months ago when my son planned his son's birthday party, he told me he was having it outside in the backyard. I took the half empty approach and said that in mid April it would be too cold. If he was very lucky, the temperature would hit high 40's or low 50's. He said that it would be warmer. I stopped arguing because I knew I would be right. I told him to have a contingency plan. He did have one but he said it would not be necessary. Well, as anyone who lives in New York knows, the temperature yesterday hit 79 degrees. The party was outside, as planned. Half full won the day.

Party Time

Today is the party. When my son planned his son's 2 year old party, he told me it would be held in his backyard. I told him that mid April is a cool month so he should have an alternate plan. He did but still thought that it would be outside. I got up this morning and the sun is shining brightly. It is already 60 degrees out. The high will be in the mid 70's. I am looking forward to taking pictures of my entire family. I can't wait to see my two grandchildren running and playing. Two years ago today, we were huddled around an isolate, looking at a 3 pound baby, hoping for a good future. We got it!

Two Years

Two years ago today, I was hoping and praying that my grandson would be born healthy. His mother went into premature labor and it was nine weeks before his due date. I sat in her hospital room, silently praying that things would turn out okay. He was born small and we were told he would be fine and catch up to other children, by the time he was two. It seemed like so far away. Tomorrow is his second birthday and all of the doctors and nurses were right. He is a normal active bright two year old. He runs and plays and understands everything that is going on. He knows how to make us laugh and how to act cute when he does something he shouldn't. A lot of love and work went into making him the toddler that he is today. His party is tomorrow and we can't wait to see him celebrate.

Back in Business

Both of my eye surgeries have been done. Now I just need to heal and use eye drops for a month. A small price to pay for perfect vision. Breaking the eyeglass routine is not as easy as it would seem. I still get up in the morning and reach for my glasses. I still go to adjust them on my face. For some reason, I just won't throw out my contact lenses, even though I will never wear them again. I guess this just shows what a creature of habit I am.

Morning Routine

Today is my second cataract surgery. My husband will be taking me. The last time he had to babysit, so a friend went with me. Even though I know that the surgery is no big deal, I am still nervous. Since my husband works nights and I work days, we never get ready to go out together. That is a blessing. I get up raring to go. He gets up complaining that he is tired. I get ready in ten minutes. He takes an hour. I never put on a radio or television. He blasts both, one in each room. It is only 6:30am and I am already tense and feel a headache brewing. Early birds and night crawlers are not meant to share the same space sometimes.

Four for Four

I am interviewing this week for a part time evening receptionist. I put an ad online with all of the details. I listed salary and hours. The resumes came flowing in. I set up four interviews. When I called the applicants, I reviewed the terms. They set up appointment times. No one showed up. I know why. The salary is just above minimum wage. No one wants to lock themselves into a low paying part time job. They would rather wait a bit to find something more lucrative. My boss doesn't want to hear this. The two girls I have now are asking for raises and they deserve them. My boss has the mind frame that people should just be glad to be employed. I hope she is a quick learner because one day it will be her sitting at the front desk window.

Riveting Ride

My sister returned home from her trip last night. Her plane was supposed to land at 8:30pm. Since I cannot read well this week, I did not check the computer for her itinerary. At 9pm, I called her phone but it was still off. I called again at 9:15 and still no answer. I figured that the plane was delayed. Five minutes later she called me. She said the plane had a 45 minute delay. I asked why. She said that the airline told them that the plane was missing a rivet and they hoped to find a replacement. She thought to herself whether or not they had checked Home Depot yet as they have all sizes. Shortly after that , there was another announcement saying that the rivet was found and being put on. If I was on that plane, I would have needed back up information. First, where was the missing rivet located? Was it from the engine or the coffee machine? Secondly, who replaced it? Was he a mechanic or a guy that just happened to have a wrench? Third, was it a priority rivet or was it the kind that you could have flown without but was nice to have on? I then would have worried for the entire trip, if the rivet was tight enough.

Promise Kept

Every year on spring vacation my sister goes on a cruise. It is her one week of the year that she shuts down her phone and has no contact with the family. For the previous two years, my husband has gotten himself into a mess on those weeks. One year, he had a car accident and totaled his car. Last year, he fell off of a tree and broke his leg. Those would have been the times that I needed her most, as my support system, but she was sailing on the high seas. When she left this year, she made me promise that nothing bad would happen. Even though I cannot see into the future, I promised. Each day that went by, I was one day closer to the finish line. She returns from her trip tonight, and all is well. I kept my promise.

Yes, The First Time

We all known the type of person we are. Some of us say no to something and will hold firm, no matter what. Some of us say no to something and then will cave in to the request. Some of us just say yes, from the beginning. I am a yes person. Unless the request is something that I can absolutely not do, I will agree from the beginning. My husband is a no at first person that will cave in, but first there must be a bit of aggravation to both people. It is a well played out dance. This dance is usually done with my younger son. My son asks for a favor and my husband says no.  My son asks again and there is an argument. My son calls me and I intervene. My husband agrees. I then call my son and settle things down. The favor is done with both people being happy about it and all is well in the end. There used to be a "Just say no" campaign. I want to start a "Just say yes" movement. The world would be a kinder place.

Option 1

This morning I had to refill a prescription for my husband. I will ignore the issue as to why I had to do it and he couldn't. For some reason, he spends more time writing me a note to do it than it would take to make the call himself. I called the drug company and was given a few options. For English press one. For Spanish press two. These are the standard choices. Then came the other choices, all given in their native languages. For Japanese, for Chinese, for Russian. I had to wait for all of these commands to finish, in order to press the English option. I began to think. If the people renewing their prescriptions do not speak English, how are they doing their jobs in an American hospital?

Something Is Missing

For his first birthday, my sister in law made my grandson a stepstool. It is a custom made stool with a picture of a superhero and his name on it. It is a beautiful stool. At 1 year old he was too young to use it but at 2 years old he loves it. He uses it to brush his teeth. Each night he runs into the bathroom and sits on his stool to brush his teeth, all my himself. On Monday, my sister in law asked to borrow it so she could take a picture of it for her website. Although she has hundreds of other designs posted, she did not have a superhero. My son gave it to her. That night, my grandson ran into the bathroom and stopped dead in his tracks. His stool was missing! He kept saying, "Stool, stool" and my son explained to him that it was going to be back home soon. He said, "Ok" but he did not look too happy. The next day, I went to pick up his beloved stool. I did not want him to go another day without it. When he walked into the bathroom last night, he was so happy to see his stool, right back where it belonged. If you want to know why this stool is so special, here is the site that it now lives on.   https://www.etsy.com/shop/RibbonMade

Directions

Most people are good with directions. They all know right from left, but many do not know north from south. When people call me for directions to my office, I try to be as clear as possible. Yesterday a new patient called and asked if the office was on the right hand or left hand side of the street. I asked where they were coming from. They answered that they knew the block but not which side. I said we are on the northern side. Again she asked right or left. I explained that right or left depended on if she was driving east or west. She had no idea what I was talking about.

Little Man

Last night I had my holiday dinner. As usual, we all had a great time. This year my grandson was old enough to be part of the evening. He ate with is and sat with us and interacted with everyone. He did laps around the house and all you could hear was the pitter patter of his tiny feet as he circled about. He talked to everyone with his limited vocabulary but we all understood him. He smiled all night. It was the best family gathering because everyone was happy. He cried when he knew it was time to go home. This was the best holiday dinner.

Cooking Up A Storm

I have a good friend that uses the expression "cooking up a storm". Yesterday I cooked a tornado. I am having my sedar dinner tonight as my son could not make it on the traditional nights. I spent all day yesterday cooking. It was harder to do than usual because I only have one clear eye. Most of the cooking was done wearing huge sunglasses as I was told to to keep my eye away from heat. I looked like a character from the movie "The Fly". The last of the baking ended at 7pm. When my husband got up yesterday morning he complained that the house smelled like food. I told him that is what happens when someone cooks.

Home

They say that home is where the heart is. I totally agree. Wherever I go, it is always nice to come back home. Home is where you let your guard down. Home is where the public you is set aside and the real you comes out. I never really thought of when we realize that our homes are the safe haven. At what age can we distinguish home from out. I got a clue yesterday. My family was out for the day and then went to a department store. My grandson who is almost two years old was tired of shopping. He put his head down on the cart and said "home". When he realized that he was still being pushed down the aisles, he kicked it up a notch and started yelling the word home. We he saw we were heading deeper into the store, he began to cry the word home. At that point we left. As we got to the exit door, the crying stopped. He knew he was on his way home.

Taxi

This morning I am up before the birds. Twice a year I drive my sister to the airport when she goes on vacation. For some reason, it just feels better to have family drive you. We always have a fun ride and laugh the whole way there. My brother in law is a jokester so the ride goes fast. We have our routine. He drives the car there, as I do not see very well on the dark. Maybe with my new eye, that will change. It is light out on the drive home. I will miss them this week, but hope they have the best time ever.

Holidays

Tonight is the first night of Passover. This year it happens to coincide with Good Friday. I feel like we are on our way to summer, finally. Once we get to this holiday milestone, our spring mode kicks in. There will be flowers and sunshine instead of snow and clouds. I normally do not work on Fridays, but I will be going in today to make up for being off Wednesday. The sun is rising and I feel great.

New Insight

I now have a new lens in my eye. The surgery went well and there was no pain. It is more painful to have a cleaning at the dentist's office. Since only one eye was done, I have to wear a contact lens in the other eye until the next surgery. I got up this morning and instinctively reached for my glasses. Then I remembered that I no longer need them. I looked at the clock and saw it clearly for the first time in many, many years. I am going to the doctor for a check up this morning and then I will be off to work. It will take a while to get used to this new way of life.

Clearer Eyes

Today is the day that I have been waiting for. My right eye will have a new lens put into it. The left eye will be done in two weeks. I will go home seeing perfect in one eye. I will be able to see the clock when I wake up at night. I can watch television at night without changing glasses. In the summer,  I will not have heavy eyeglass frames sweating on my face. I am a bit nervous as no one wants to have surgery, no matter how simple it is, but I can't wait for the results.