Happy

This is my favorite season - this year. . . .

Traditionally November and December have been the most difficult months in my life.  Other than dismal weather, the most traumatic events have usually occurred in these months - or in early January. 

But this year, I'm all about Christmastime.  

I have many reasons to be happy:
  
My children are doing well; my relationship with them is harmonious and loving.  

My son and daughter-in-law are competent, interested and loving parents.  Their 5 year old daughter enjoys doing crafts with me.  Their son at two sparkles with personality.

My daughter is ........amazing!

I am blessed to have in my life a wonderful man who continually surprises me with his thoughtfulness, gentleness and brilliance.  

I now live in a welcoming retirement community.  My block is known to be the most "social" in this community.  Some of my neighbors are becoming friends, others friendly acquaintances.

Life has mellowed me.  I've learned some of its more difficult lessons.  I face the challenges that life now present me with grace.  Every day is a gift.

And . . . . . the bank down the street always has cookies and coffee available.  I call it the Cookie Bank.  A week ago they hosted their annual Christmas party, a gift to those of us who do our banking there.  The food is abundant and includes an assortment of gourmet appetizers, wonderful bakery items, wine and other beverages.

At the Christmas party at the Cookie Bank was the attractive woman pictured above.  I love the flair with which she is dressed.  Her presence added to the festivity of the occasion.

I swim because that is what I do; I am a swimmer.
Pain dictates that it is the only cardio exercise I get.
A fourth a mile away from my house
Is a warm community pool.
I am fortunate
And thankful.

Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn

This morning I attended a lecture about  Felix Mendelssohn's older sister, Fanny  Mendelssohn Hensel.  

She was born in 1805 into a Jewish family that converted to Protestantism in order to assimilate into the upper echelons of the stratified Prussian aristocracy.  Though she was precociously  gifted with musical talent, she was told that music could only be an "ornament" in her life; her brother, Felix, was groomed to music greatness.  

Fanny composed over 400 musical compositions.  She  organized and performed in.biweekly concerts in the "garden room," which seated over 200 people, in the mansion where she lived with her family.  The famous and the powerful attended these.

Until 1847, Felix discouraged Fanny from having her works published.  Upon the publication of a few of them, she said that she felt like she been been "reborn."  At this point, she was writing prodigiously.  She died less than a year later.

Fanny's works went undiscovered until the 1980's when a scholar wrote a biography of her famous brother and found himself fascinated by his older sister.  One wonders how the course of Fanny's life would have been had she been born 150 years later.

(If the video below doesn't work, here is the link.)

Taking Time

Sometimes a response is needed.  The behavior of the other person requires it.  Such a task has sometimes overwhelmed me in the past.  I am impelled to respond immediately and the task overtakes my life.

This time, I did it differently.  I set a time for four days later to write a response to a provocative letter that I had received.  When thoughts about the planned letter intruded, I pushed them away.  When I found myself mulling the situation while swimming laps, I focused on the number of the lengths that I had completed.

On Sunday, alone and with hours at my disposal, I finally jotted down the points that I wanted to make.  Rather than the fevered passion which has accompanied my writing such letters in the past, I felt a sense of peace. Putting distance between my initial reaction and my expression of it allowed me to do the task dispassionately.

Playing With Pictures

Towards the end of September, Gari and Gari's son, Gabe, and I took a RV trip to Yosemite and the Gold Country.  

Yesterday, as I reviewed the pictures and downloaded the selected ones to Shutterfly in preparation for a photo album, I smiled.

Grounded

I've been looking at my need for creative activity.  I am making this a priority.  I am not going to let the continual demands to do paperwork - and then more paperwork - an ever growing mountain of paperwork - smother me.  I need to create!

Taking the time to swim is important.  Given my pain issues, it is the only cardio exercise that I get.  I am fortunate to live a fourth of a mile from a warm pool in the retirement community to where I now live.  I am learning to make that a priority.

A Post-Election Comment

My candidate won.  The plot of land on which my house is located will not secede after all!

I'm actually very relieved that Obama won.