More Special Than Mother's Day

While today is Mother's Day and I'm blessed to still have my Mom (88), it's May 12th and that date is so very special to me.  Some of my readers have heard this story before but I'll keep re-posting it with pride and heartfelt memories.  I do wish all the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day.

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On May 12, 1982, a young, single mother of a 6 month old baby walked into the Raritan Valley Country Club for her first day of a new job and hopefully towards a new life.  She was proud and didn't want to continue on welfare and food stamps and wanted to support her son and herself.

She had waited for her tax return the month before to get enough money to buy an older used car so she would have transportation.  Her best friend, who was a stay at home Mom, offered to babysit for a small amount of money each week.  Things were finally going to be OK.

The job was as a waitress at a private country club.  The pay was a much higher rate per hour without tips but she needed to depend on a set amount of money each week, so this worked out great.  She was used to working at diners or family restaurants so this was a step up for her but she could do anything she set her mind to.  She was also used to cooks who had hot tempers and abused waitresses either verbally, physically or both.

The country club had a whole staff of new recruits starting that day for the season.  Most of them were home from college for the summer but she was going to be permanent.  She arrived a bit nervous, wearing a white dress blouse, black jumper, stockings and white waitress shoes.  She was young, slender and knew she was hired for her looks because while it was a country club, the male members ran it their way.  She didn't care.  As long as she got the job and they liked her, she would stay.

After a quick orientation for all the new wait staff, the head waitress brought them all into the kitchen to meet the kitchen crew.  They were all introduced to the cooks and the chef.  She shook the chef's hand, looked him in the eye and told him that she would appreciate his respect and patience while she learned "his" way in "his kitchen" but was more than willing to comply.

He was in his 40's, handsome and totally dumbstruck when she did this.  Never in his career had anyone ever done something like this.  He could only imagine what kind of idiot chefs she must have worked for in the past. He had to admit that he liked her style and admired her forward yet complying introduction.  He told her he would gladly teach her about his style and methods of cooking if she would kindly respect the cooks when it was crunch time and not shout at them.  Deal she said!

Little did she know that that day would forever be the turning point in her life.  She learned from that chef and together they became good friends.  Six months later they became man and wife for the next 23 years until he passed away due to illness.  Every year on May 12th, she celebrates that day as the day that changed her life forever.

That waitress was me and that chef was Rich.  My stars were aligned that day. It's always a great day to remember!

Taken shortly after we were married. Dec. 1982

My Glimpse Into The "Other Side" (and No I'm Not Nuts) !!

After the death of Roger Ebert recently, I read a wonderful article that he had written about his beliefs in the next life and they were very similar to mine.  I told my Facebook friends that day that I wasn't afraid of death because I had an experience that showed me that life does in fact go on and that I would blog about it.  I actually had a couple but this one I wanted to share.

Recently, I have discovered some great books by author Linn B. Hilton of the U.K.  In particular, the book "Being a Skeptic Is Oh So Easy" is where she writes about experiences that have happened to her that connect her to the "other side". Some of them are things that have happened to me that I dismissed as "coincidence" or my imagination.  I now believe there are no such things as coincidence and that I didn't imagine these things after all.

About 15 years ago, my late husband Rich and I had both lost a loved one within a year.  It was the first time that we really started to wonder about life after death and we began doing some serious reading on the subject.  We lived in Connecticut at the time and we had heard about a psychic medium named Suzane Northrop who appeared often on our local radio station.  We read one of her books and a few others by George Anderson and John Edward, both psychic mediums as well.  It was life changing for us.  We attended a few seminars, both together and separate, and heard Suzane and John give readings to people in the audience from their deceased loved ones.  It was fascinating and the details were so personal and private that we knew that there was no way anyone could have known this information ahead of time.  Rich and I had hoped that we would hear from our loved ones at one of these events.  Rich did in fact get messages from his loved ones and he was convinced then that he would see his loved ones again.  This conviction was what made his dying from Hepatitis C and liver cancer so easy for him.  He looked at it like he was going on a journey into a new world.  It was also what made it much easier for me to deal with his death.

Rich's daughter had bought 2 tickets to attend another of Suzane Northrop's seminars.  At the last minute, she couldn't make it and gave us the tickets.  We gladly took them and looked forward to another seminar of learning and confirmation.

This time I noticed we were going to a different location and it was a smaller hotel. On the way in the car, I was trying to figure out in my head how a couple hundred people were going to attend this when the conference rooms I knew to be small.  I just put it out of my head and looked forward to the event.  Once we arrived, we followed the signs to the conference room and it was small.  Outside the door was an easel welcoming us to her "workshop".  Now I was really curious.  I didn't realize that it was a workshop for only 40 people.  A few of us were early and we gathered in the hallway and I asked what the context was for this workshop   Apparently we had tickets for a workshop where Suzane would teach us how to receive messages from people who have passed over to the other side.  Can I just say I was excited and totally anxious to get underway since we would be in a smaller room with Suzane and could interact with her!

Rich and I sat in the front row about 2 feet from Suzane.  She is a brilliant speaker and has a great sense of humor which was critical in putting us at ease.  She asked us questions, we asked her questions.  For the first half we learned a lot about how we all have psychic abilities, we just don't all know it or know how to use it. I've always known I had something.  My Grandmother told me I was born with a veil over my face which only recently did I find out that it meant that I am very intuitive.  And I am.

Now for the fun part.  Suzane told us we were going to participate in an exercise where we would receive a message from someone who passed.  A few of us weren't quite sure we had it in us and we joked a bit about it.  Basically, we were going to be walked through a meditation stage and then we would be given a message.  I was very ready.

First we did some deep breathing exercises and neck, shoulder and arm exercises to help relax our upper bodies.  We were then guided by Suzane on how to breathe, how to focus on what she was saying and following her instructions.

All of a sudden, doors were opening and I was stepping out into the most beautiful and colorful garden I have ever seen.  The birds were singing, the air was warm, the grass was so green and the air was like perfume from all the beautiful flowers. It was so bright and peaceful yet the brightness was not coming from the sun.  There was a stone path that led up to a white gazebo and I knew I had to walk towards it.  As I approached it, an older woman came out of the gazebo and I have never seen her before in my life.  To this day I can remember it like it was yesterday.  She was very heavy, wearing a navy blue dress with a belt around the middle.  She had short, white, permed hair and glasses.  She wore large white button earrings that were popular in the 80's.  She also carried a black pocketbook.  An old fashioned style handbag.  The one feature that stood out to me was her upper arms.  They were extremely large and fleshy.  They were disproportionate to the lower arms.

As I stood looking at her, she smiled and said to me "tell my Granddaughter that I love her". That was it.  Nothing more. I was then pulled back to the doors that I came through and to Suzane's voice telling us to open our eyes and breathe deeply through our noses and out our mouths.  I felt so refreshed and calm. I have never felt as peaceful as I did then. We were then directed to silently jot down what we saw.

Suzane asked for a volunteer to tell the group what they say.  No one wanted to go for fear of sounding nutty! Finally, I raised my hand.  I described what I had seen and what this stranger told me.  No sooner than when I finished speaking, a woman two rows behind me shouted out "That's my Grandma and I've been waiting 7 years to hear from her"!!!  Can I just say that every hair on my body was standing on end and a shiver went down my spine.  I turned around to look at this woman and she was sobbing and thanking me profusely.  Suzane asked her how she knew it was her Grandma and she told us that her Grandma "always" wore button earring and carried that handbag wherever she went.  She also said that my description of her arms was spot on and that validated it for her.  I began crying myself, now understanding what I had just done.  I'd given this woman a message from someone she loved and lost and what better gift could a person give or receive.

Each person began to tell what they saw and messages were delivered and let me tell you the tears were flowing.  There was no grasping at straws trying to make the messages "fit" any one person.  The details were too specific.

That day was very enlightening for me.  It changed the way I look at death and dying.  I got a peek into a beautiful place that I can't wait to see again when the time comes.  My loved ones are there waiting for me and until I join them, they continue to send me little signs that they're around and love me unconditionally.

Me and The Daytona Beach Scoop

Wow...It has been awhile since I wrote anything.  I did acknowledge that I had kind of lost the writing urge and that is true.  There are however, times when I feel like something is missing and I guess that would be my blog!

Let me start by giving you some high points of this past year and living in Daytona Beach.  I absolutely love it here and still feel like I have to pinch myself when I cross the bridge heading towards the ocean and crossing the Intracoastal Waterway.  It's just beautiful and takes my breath away.

Bruce and I decided to give it another go and all is good in that book.  We both took a lot for granted I think and I'm very glad I realized that it was worth another shot before losing him for good.  All I know is right now, for today, things are good.  I can't predict the future.  One day at a time!

July and August were pretty hot which was what I expected.  We stayed in the air conditioned home all day long and only went out in the evenings for shopping, etc. since it was a bit cooler.  The humidity was the worst part of it for me.  There's a big difference in the humidity here than further north.  It's just sticky hot and your clothes stick to you.  Given that this lasts for about 2 months out of 12...I'm not complaining at all.  

It was during this bout of heat and humidity that we went up to Connecticut for a week to see my granddaughters, who, by the way, are just getting more precious by the day.  It was a rather cool summer up north so for us it was a treat.  We spent a week down at New London/Groton area with the girls, taking them to the beach, swimming in the hotel pool, sightseeing, and lots of shopping!  Bruce's daughters came to where we were on one weekend and spent good quality time with their Papabear, while I got to spend quality time with my girls, and a very close friend of mine.  It was a great trip and was over too quick.  Now I'm hoping that my girls can come here on summer vacation for a couple weeks.  That would just be awesome.

In September, my mother (88) fell and broke her thigh bone which resulted in surgery, metal rods, rehabilitation facilities and a lot of pain.  She is one tough cookie.  She was hospitalized for 45 days and was sent home two days before Storm Sandy hit New Jersey, which is where she lives.  My brothers all took turns going to visit her in the hospital, bringing her whatever she needed, paying her bills, etc.  I decided to do my part and flew up to her the day she came home so she wouldn't be alone while adjusting to being on her own again.  It was very stressful for me.  I was in a lot of pain myself with my Fibromyalgia, and she was overwhelmed with everything going on and not in a very nice mood.  Therefore, I bit my lip, told her I wasn't there to wait on her, got her to feel stronger on her feet with her walker and went grocery shopping for her so she was stocked full of frozen foods that she could nuke and eat with no fuss.  During this time the storm was hitting Florida and was building strength going up the coast.  I flew home the day before it did the catastrophic damage to New Jersey.  I flew over the storm and can say it was a bit bouncy on the way home.  Thankfully, she was fine during the storm as her senior apartment building was run on generators and the neighbors looked in on her.  I got home to sunshine and blue skies. I originally intended to go home on that Sunday but changed my mind at the last minute.  Had I not changed my mind, I would have been stuck up there for several more days and probably locked up in a padded room somewhere.

November came and I found myself turning 52.  How did that happen?  Since Bruce and I had a rough couple of years financially, and that my 50th was spent being broke, he took me out for a fabulous birthday dinner to make up for it.  We dined on the 29th floor of a restaurant in Daytona that was circular and looked out over the ocean and the waterways.  It was truly fantastic and we dined on the kind of food that would have made Chef Rich very proud.  I was in awe of the whole thing.  The waiter told the lounge singer it was my birthday and she sang to me.  The chef fixed a dessert to die for.  It was a very special evening.

The celebration continued the next day when Bruce took me for a sunset catamaran cruise.  It was a fabulous 3 hour boat ride on a huge catamaran sailboat with cocktails and snacks served by the crew.  Only about 12 others were onboard so it was very fun and scenic.  Good thing I took my motion sickness meds though.  The young skipper brought us out to the mouth of the inlet to the ocean to turn us around.  There was a storm brewing and we had some rough waves.  All in all, it was an experience I will not forget!!

 The holidays were quiet.  However, winter was pretty much non-existent here and for that I am so very grateful.  I spent a lot of time on the beach this winter soaking up the sun.  I drive right onto the beach, park my car, life the hatch and pull my chair out of the back.  There's no struggling with trying to lift, carry, walk, strain, etc. and makes a huge difference to me.  The warm sun on my knees and my shoulders feels so good and therapeutic.  It's a 10 minute drive, straight up the road.  Pinch me!

Bruce and I are huge Nascar fans and we finally got inside the Daytona International Speedway.  We donated blood which was being held on the inside of the track.  There were practices with the new Gen 6 cars going on while we were there so it was just amazing.  We got to see the Rolex 200 race when our former maintenance man gave us free tickets that he didn't want.  The race track is very handicap friendly so I didn't have to walk far, climb stairs or sit on bench seats.  We wanted so badly to get in to see the Daytona 500 but the tickets were just out of our price range.  The race track is 10 minutes in the other direction.  We drove by it slowly on the day of the big race and rolled down the windows listening to the roar of the engines and then ran home to finish it on the big screen like a couple of kids!

This pretty much sums up what I've been up to this year.  I do love it here and am very happy.  I've recently found a support group on Facebook for Fibromyalgia sufferers and have really come to terms with what I've got and that it is a very real and very debilitating condition.  I do what I can on a good day and I stay off my feet on bad days.  I don't sleep well most nights but when I have a good night's sleep, I wake up feeling so happy.  One day at a time folks.  It could be so much worse.  

Oh...I almost forget.  I've spent a good part of this past year laughing.  Laughter is my daily mantra!  Bruce is my laughter.  He is soooo funny.  When you wake up and are laughing so hard your stomach hurts before your feet even touch the floor, you are bound to have a great day!  

Holiday Greetings 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA

MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE JUST "BEACHY"

Hi Gang...I'm Still Around

Hello to all my blog friends!  Remember me? I've been settling into Florida coastal life and loving every single moment of it.  It's beautiful here and so much to see.  Bruce and I are having fun every day.  Even when we are just sitting home.  Laughter is the key to enjoying life.

I thought I'd put up a link to an older Christmas story that is in two parts.  It's a true story from my family and it's the time of year I always think of it.  I'll post part 1 now and stay tuned for part 2.  I hope you enjoy it and I also hope you're all doing well.  Who knows....I might have to write a post or two soon.  I miss it.

My Memories of Putting Up a Christmas Tree was originally posted in 2010 and was a hit!  Enjoy!!

Hello and Goodbye

source...Google search

Hello Strangers...

I think I'm done recuperating from our trip to Connecticut to vacation with my beautiful girls.  We had such a good time.  The weather was a bit cloudy and rainy so we took them on a steam train and boat ride along/on the Connecticut River.  It was great.  Everything was so lush and green up home since they've had a lot of rain this summer.  The temps were perfect for Bruce and I because we got a break from the 100+ temps of sunny Florida.  We did get some beach time in up there and had one awesome, sunny beach day with Bruce's beautiful daughters, son-in-law, and my girls.  It's all we were wanting...seeing our girls! Nothing else matters.

The girls were so happy to be with Grandma and Bruce.  I really miss them already.  I took lots of pictures and when I put the memory card in my pc....poof!  Loss of programs and no more pictures.  I think I cried for a day or two.  So, I've got great memories of a fun time with my beautiful girls who are growing up so fast and turning into such precious little ladies!

Home for a week and unable to walk decently until yesterday due to stiff joints, muscle aches, and excessive swelling in my knees and ankles.  It's finally under control now so back to the daily grind.

Bruce and I are doing great.  Things are good and we are enjoying life in Florida tremendously.  He finally got his settlement from disability so we can begin to live again without feeling guilty if we spend $5.00 on ourselves!!  That may take some getting used to though.  We've been without for 2 years.  Just barely scraping by.

Anywho...that leads me to blogging.  Folks, I've seriously lost the urge to blog and read blogs.  I really struggled with this but I think I'm going to close it down for awhile.  I've made so many good friends here and some of them I have allowed into my personal lives and their Facebook world.  If any of you would like to keep in touch with me on Facebook, send me an email (bouncinbarb1960@aol.com) and if I'm comfortable enough, I'll give you my Facebook name.

I'll keep this up for awhile and then close it down. Ironically, it's my two year blogaversary too!  I want to thank every single person who followed me and took the time to write comments on my blog.  It meant the world to me. You guys kept me going mentally and financially through the roughest time I've had in a very, very long time.  Getting up to almost 270 followers and trying to keep up with over 100 blogs just got to be too much.  I do however, want to know about your families, your new babies, your babies to be, your health and such.  So those of you that I have built a pretty good blogging friendship with, please email me at bouncinbarb1960@aol.com from time to time if you don't have Facebook.  I would love hearing from you!

Think of me resting these aches and pains on the beautiful beach in the warm sun.  It's my medicine.  If anything...please be happy for me.  I am happy for me!

In the meanwhile...maybe I'll get that book going after all.  Maybe I'll work on organizing and sorting my thousands of pictures on my pc.  Maybe I'll get to finish some needle work.  And maybe....just maybe, I'll get back to reading like a maniac like I used to.

I love you all.....

source...Google Image Search

Didn't Expect To Hear From Me Today Did You?

Are you surprised to hear from me today?  I'm surprised that I actually am writing a blog post.  Truth is, I've had no interest in blogging at all lately and that includes reading blogs too.  Does that make me a bad person?  Are you all mad at me?  Please don't be.  It means that I am getting out of the house, enjoying life and having fun with Bruce here in Daytona Beach.

It's just fabulous here and we keep discovering new places to put on the list to try out.  The list is getting long but we've got plenty of time.

We spent 3 solid days at the beach earlier this week because the parking lot at the complex was being repaved and painted.  That smell is horrendous so we would head to the beach by 9:00 a.m. and come home around 4:30 each day.  Let me tell you how well we slept each night!!  All that beach fresh air.  We had some very serious riptides all week from some storms out at sea and unfortunately a couple people did drown in our area.  The life guards and beach patrol had to rescue a few people right in front of us and they had literally hundreds of rescues this week.  I can't believe how people pay no mind to the surf warnings.

I've finally gotten health insurance after 5 years.  I will be seeing a specialist for my fibromyalgia in Sept.  That was the earliest appointment I could get with one.  Meanwhile, I had to break down and get my Lyrica filled for $80 / 30 day supply.  I can't afford to pay that on a regular basis but until I get in to the specialist and try to get the free meds from Pfizer it's all I have.  My leg pain is pretty bad and I have the feeling in all of my feet that they are being hit with live electricity.  It's a pretty awful feeling so in about another week the Lyrica should start kicking in with that.  It's made for nerve ending pain.

I have a big secret to share with you if you promise not to tell!  I can't even put it on my Facebook page, but I can tell you here! 

source...microsoft clip art

 I just booked a vacation trip up to see my girls at the end of July.  We're flying up for 6 days and taking them off on our own vacation.  Not sure where to yet but it will be either the CT shore, Rhode Island shore or Cape Cod.  I am so flippin' excited to be seeing them.  The girls are excited too but 5 weeks to them is an eternity so they will get more excited the closer it gets.   The best part is that I don't have to drive 21 hours to get there and the price I got for airfare was unbelievably cheap.  The gas up one way would cost more than 2 round trip tickets.  Can't beat that!  And I really would suffer physically after driving 2 solid days like that one way.  So I'm super excited and doing a chair dance here!

So that's where I've been and that's the scoop folks!  I do miss you all and will pop in from time to time to visit your blogs.  Please don't think I have forgotten you because I have not!

Love, BB