FOTO FRIDAY: GOTTA HAVE HEART

FOTO FRIDAY: The toad in the road for breakfast had a special message.  

Take a look. . .

In case you forgot -Ya gotta have heart...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY:It's a DONE DOOR

TBT:A REUNION AND GREAT VISITING

TBT : A TYG REUNION When I sat down for a memorial service this past Monday a familiar face was sitting in the pew behind me. I had to do a double take a couple times because there was recognition  45+ years of not seeing each other in person. We had been in Temple Youth Group together, her older brother was a year younger than I.  Since she was sitting by herself, I excused myself from my seat and joined her.

Well, we didn't let any more grass grow between our catching up as we got together yesterday in the Cultural Living Room at the Arkansas Center of Fine Arts for their DJ Spin evening, continuing our discussion over dinner at the Root. 

Our lives have taken a lot of detours and Phil brought us together...

Thanks Phil.

SHIVA TIME AGAIN...

Religion serves a myriad of purposes and nonbelievers can call its traditions foolish but isn't it a personal thing? If your religion provides solace at your darkest moments, that's wonderful. 

Sitting shiva last night for the family of the deceased hopefully did just that. As the son of the departed voiced his appreciation for our presence, he reminded us of the meaning of home. No matter when you go back, the memories and its people provide comfort. 

This family's communities showed up not only on the day of the memorial service but to repeat the Kaddish, the age-old mourning prayer praising G-d, especially for the one who is no longer here to do that. 

Many of you asked me about the Kaddish. So you can hear it attached in a video, a transliteration of the Hebrew and the English. 

Yep, it's the teacher in me instilled by one of my mentors, z'l Phil Kaplan who taught by example, do what you love.

VIDEO:KADDISH

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TUESDAY TUNES: IT HAD TO BE YOU

Today's Tuesday Tune is brought to you by my unexpected couchsurfer who just not only had a sleepover but will probably still be here a second night since the power has not been restored to the 55 customers inconvenienced on his street and its cross street by two downed trees from Sunday's storms...  

Some of you may remember this guy... Both guys- Jerry & Frank..

Enjoy his choice is Frank Sinatra's: It Had to Be You

MONDAY MUSINGS AND MISSING A TWINKLE..

One of my most favorite men left this world Friday night peacefully after complications from a stroke. He will be laid to rest today in a private ceremony followed by a public service at his beloved Temple B'nai Israel. He touched many lives so I know the sanctuary will be full.

Not many can leave a legacy like Phil Kaplan in his 85 years of gracing this planet.

Oh, how I will miss that twinkle in his eyes...

A Harvard grad with a law degree from Michigan, his northern accent was still noticeable even though he moved to Little Rock as a Civil Rights attorney in the late 60's and started the first integrated firm. 

Phil Kaplan was a civic leader who served on numerous boards lending his efforts and was duly recognized for his community work in both our Jewish and secular communities. He was a role model to me and so many others in his activism and humanitarianism.

Oh, how I will miss that twinkle in his eyes...

As a teen he taught me in Sunday School that the questions one asks are just as important as being able to have an answer. This served me well in both my studies and personal interactions in a myriad of social and cultural settings.

More recently Phil Kaplan shared his knowledge as a guest lecturer in one of the senior LifeQuest classes I attended with my Father. He was still teaching and we were still learning.

Oh, how I will miss that twinkle in his eyes...

He was highly respected in his field by his peers, clients and the general public...

 

...

And in researching  his accolades I discovered he was recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America 2023 for work in:

Bet-the-Company Litigation

Civil Rights Law

Commercial Litigation

Employment Law - Management

First Amendment Law

Litigation - Banking and Finance

Litigation - First Amendment

Litigation - Health Care

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Special Focus: Management

Over the years it was always a treat to see him and his wife Ruthe of 67 years on my visits home and when I moved back home whenever our paths crossed,  I would always be greeted with that sincere outreached hand that pulled you in warmly for a peck on the cheek. He was genuine.

Oh, how I will miss that twinkle in his eyes...

I do believe the last time we saw each other was at his good friend Sam's funeral service. I babysat for both their families.  After our customary hello, I watched from my seat as others went up to greet him because he was now in a wheelchair not looking as strong as the last time I had seen him... 

And today we will be honoring his memory. A life well lived and loved- Phil Kaplan, you will always hold a special place in my heart and yes, I will definitely miss that twinkle in those eyes... 

"

FOTO FRIDAY: SLIDING ON TO FINISH ANOTHER PROJECT

 

FOTO FRIDAY: Upcycling helped solve an opening but not lose width for a walker/ wheelchair access by converting an old farm house door to a sliding barn door.  It was purchased from the Habitat for Humanity store and if it could talk we could learn the history of all the people who touched it before and now. 

It will always hold special memories...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was :LET THEM EAT CAKE

TBT: COUCHSURFING

We don't have to go back too far for this week's THROW BACK THURSDAY since this photo is of my last Couchsurfer from last Saturday who arrived in her present home a converted delivery van. 

This amazing young lady has a lifetime ahead of her and I wish her well on her journey and the many paths ahead. She was headed cross country from her South Carolina land where she is a caretaker to California, her former home. She has already experienced co-creating an app, teaching and recently trained to become a Life Coach. I know she'll be great at it!

Posing in the van she remodeled with Huck, her sidekick and one of her wonderful acrylic paintings behind her.

I joined Couchsurfing to meet like-minded people who wanted to make the world a little smaller and a little kinder by being ambassadors of where they lived either offering advice of what to do/see or a space to crash: a bed, backyard, couch/ in this Couchsurfer's case, she just needed a driveway. 

Knowing her departure had been at 4:30 am, I knew she would probably arrive exhausted after such a hot, long drive and she might be hungry, I had invited her to join me for dinner. She was so appreciative for the AC, facilities, dinner and was truly a delightful conversational ist with even a little Chinese thrown in. (Her accent was impeccable.) Her traveling companion, Huck, her sweet rescue dog suffers from PTSD and stayed by her side. By the end of our dinner, he was leaning against my leg. Aw. 

It was a super short stay as both of us were calling it an early night as she would pull out at 5am the next day. We said our goodbyes after dinner as she returned to her van for the night.

My kids think I am crazy for participating in this program but you read bios of the Couchsurfer and references by other hosts/guests. You then decide if they seem like someone who you would want to meet. 

Life is to be lived and my life was enriched by meeting this young lady. 

 After reading the reference she wrote on the website, how could I not feel terrific?

• "Karen is an amazing host. She really went out of her way to make sure I had everything I could possibly need during my stay, including snacks she’d left for me to take for the road but it was so dark as I was leaving early in the morning that I didn’t notice! She had homemade 5 mushroom and lentil stew ready that was absolutely delicious and just what I needed after a long day of traveling. Food aside, Karen can really carry and lead a conversation and we did not run out of things to talk about. I loved hearing her stories about Wisconsin and other life experiences. I felt as though we connected very well. Her house is full of art that she’s been collecting over the years. It was like walking into a gallery. 

• She’s so full of joy, and I was in awe of how she’s sustained such a beautiful perspective on things. Stay with Karen, meet up with Karen, host Karen. Read Karen’s blog. Karen won’t let you down, y’all."

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• You had better make your reservations soon, I think my calendar will be filling in... LOL

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MIDWEEK MUSINGS RE: LAND PARTNERS

Natureman and I decided our anniversary of meeting would be our anniversary date since we never officially tied the knot. It wasn't that he didn't ask me, it's just I never wanted to go through a divorce again. As he would tell everyone, "We are better than married, we are land partners" and that we were... We had 20 years of 'unwedded' bliss.

We started an anniversary tradition of going to Lanesboro, MN by Natureman making reservations in a lovely Victorian AirBnb, packing a picnic lunch always with bubbly& those flutes, the canoe atop the car and the bikes on the rear rack.

Folks always ask about our online love story so here's that blog entry marking our 10th anniversary... 

We just never know how long we have together...

UNWEDDED BLISS

TUESDAY TUNES: NUMBER 1 in AMERICA

 Today's Tuesday Tunes was shared by a close friend of Natureman's.  If you listen closely to the lyrics you will find it speaks to all of us. Thank you Mark for sharing... We were taught we were Number 1 in America.

We still have a lot of work to do... 

NUMBER 1 in AMERICA by dave massengill

MONDAY MUSINGS: HOLIDAY EXPECTATIONS

Aren't holiday weekends so much fun? Hardy, har har.  A lot of expectations... and whose expectations? 

Let's take a vote as to what percentage of Dads do you think were happy this past Sunday?  Please don't take me as the Grinch of Father's Day but rather the 'realist' of expectations.

There are traditions we come with to a relationship/instill in our offspring/create those traditions to be what we think they should be. And since I was raised as a pleaser, it truly was a godsend living with a guy who didn't have expectations regarding holidays including birthdays. To be honest, I had plenty for both of us. 

Natureman preferred a recreational day spent bike riding, canoeing and having a nice dinner either homemade/ in a restaurant. But that was an excuse to be able to do those things. Yet, when it was Father's Day, my thought was his kids should put in the effort to include him in their day. 

And you know what ? 

The man wouldn't wait at home for those calls because preplanning is not necessarily on their radar...  They were grown but one spent Father's Day with another family who went camping and preplanning definitely wasn't the other's forte. It may have bothered me, but I never voiced it and seriously, it didn't bother Natureman.   He was secure in his role as their Dad. He would say, " I know they love me." 

Wow. Alien to this gal who was not raised in a household with an unconditional love.  I'm just saying that's how it was/is and I wasn't sure what was going to happen with Father's Day yesterday, to be perfectly honest, as my Dad hadn't been up to snuff all week. It just wasn't wise to go out, so the party went to Dad.

En route to my Dad's a text come thru and it was from my Dad's aide who wanted to give us the heads up, "My Dad didn't want that sweet potato, he wanted to go to an Italian restaurant and it was his day." Well, my brother had already picked up Dad's favorite Outback dish, the coconut shrimp,  and I was in the car  bringing the party food for the rest of us, carrot sticks, cukes, smoked turkey rollups, blueberries and grapes along with the 'coup de gras' the dessert, a watermelon dressed up as a very specific fish. 

When he saw the fish, he was quite taken aback.  I asked him if he knew what kind of fish it was. "No" he quipped, I said, "Dad you don't recognize the Flipp'nem fish?"

 A huge smile covered his face as this joke was one he had told us and everyone else, a gazillion times. "Do you remember what is so special about the flipp'nem fish?" "Oh yes," he retorted "a flipp'nem fish swims backward to keep the water out of his eyes. " We all cracked up and it turns out my Dad never mentioned once that he preferred to be at the Italian Restaurant.  So much for expectations, eh?

Hope you and yours are able to enjoy whatever day it is being together.

FOTO FRIDAY: LET THEM EAT CAKE...

FOTO FRIDAY this week was dessert at the Hunger Relief Alliance fundraiser.  Of course, I picked the chocolate one. YUM. Thank you Linda for inviting me to share your table and participate in the evening. 

It is very important work trying to eradicate food insecurity. We certainly ate very well. Kudos to the good work this organization does.

WHEN YOU GET LEMONS ...MAKE LEMONADE

We all face disappointments in life... sometimes we know they are coming and other times we get smacked upside of the head. Oooh like what just hit me?

I thought I had a couple of trips which just didn't come to fruition this year. So those shopping trips for a new wardrobe will just have to go and be worn elsewhere and make different memories. 

Instead of premiering this new purchase in the lights of Broadway, the  designated new outfit will be worn to the Hunger Relief Alliance fundraiser and truly serve a higher good...

When you get lemons, heck no problem, make lemonade/ as my friend Kaye suggest a lemon martini. That'll work too!

TUESDAY TUNES:: JIM CROCE

How many of you loved Jim Croce? 

 This one speaks volumes to me... Lyrics included 

TIME IN A BOTTLE

MONDAY MUSINGS AND MORE FIRSTS

For the last 16 days there have been a lot of firsts...  I started babyproofing before the Atlanta crew's arrival and glass coffee tables were disassembled and hidden behind bigger pieces of furniture. 

This is the first time I have been under the same roof with a grand much less two for this length of time and under my own roof no less.

Bear with me as I 're'count other firsts.

Naivete was not a part of my thinking mode re: boundaries.  This visit would not be anything short of challenging. I appealed for gates for Mr. J but unfortunately, all but one was too small for the larger-than-normal openings. Drats.

Kitchen access couldn't be denied and even tape could not prevent this ambulatory child from access to no-no drawers. In fact, the kid utters no-no before gaining access to their contents.

Outlet covers had to be ordered as even nite lights would be removed by Mr. J who turned one a couple months ago. He is one busy, curious creature.

Just Ms H and I went to Children's Theatre just like my Mom used to take her Mom. Then, Ms H  enjoyed a morning dance camp her first week and it was my first recital of hers to witness. 

She attended Lego Camp, a first, for her.  We even shared her first snowcone. Strawberry flavor, of course, because it is pink!

Lo and behold, last night she lost her 'first' baby tooth and 'Tina' the Tooth Fairy found her right here in Arkansas!

And by the end of Mr. J's stay he was crossing rooms with Frankenstein-like steadiness upright on 2 legs, improving greatly the last four days. Here he shows off his first major hike to get to his cousin B.  in her new place.

He also was teething so there was a lot of drooling and wet clothing at both ends. Nap schedule was bascially no schedule as a shrilling cry required the ole Crash and Burn method sometimes if he would not give up. 

This Bubbe had a first with 3 nights and 4 days with both kids completely alone. And they were both alive, unscathed when their Mom returned. Ms H and I even got workbook assignments done. 

But being on backup for bottle duty had me sleeping with one ear open... 

Tomorrow night promises a better sleep for all of us not just because we are back on our schedules and turf but also because we have the best kind of sleep medicine. it's called exhaustion.

FOTO FRIDAY: HOW MANY CHANGES CAN YOU FIND?

FOTO FRIDAY finds this homestead these past 2 weeks adapting  since a one year old and his dog are used to things being their way.

 

How many changes can you find?

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was INTROS

I am going to say no one played along with all the changes.

There were 8 in this week's photo!

1.  Sheets on living furniture... Teddy, my grand og drools when he         sleeps not a good look on suede. I can hear Natureman saying totally   impractical in country living and woodburning. Yea, they made the   Milwaukee move.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6,

7.

8

 

TBT:FOR THE BIRDS

TBT: Whenever I am missing the birds from the End of the Rainbow Valley, I am extra excited when some of my old photos reappear like this week.

 It is easy to take things for granted when you assume you will always be able to enjoy these little pleasures... 

Here are two of my favorite species showing up in the front flower bed feeder and where countless hours were spent bird-watching... 

This was taken in 2014.

It was so joyous at the Tonys last night! They're still talking about it at the feeder. Let's all fly to NYC for a show or two...

SErENDIPITY IS ALWAYS WELCOME

 Serendipity is always a pleasant surprise when events align and provide an unexpected meeting. A last minute music night out involved seeing a former neighbor who lived on one corner of my childhood's home block. 

I wasn't positive but with a FaceBook check- lo and behold, it also had pics of other people sitting at her table. Of course, I went over to say Hi, not sure if she would remember me.

Our exchange in between songs included news of her younger sister who has lived across the big pond for 50 years was coming home for a visit. She would be at this very venue the first weekend in June. How fun! Music and a reunion.

Alas, that weekend coincided with my grands' obligation. DRATS. 

Yet, another fortuitous moment afforded itself as one of my bday group members would mention our get-together and enable us to arrange a lunch date... All is right with the world.

The Pantry was my suggestion as their homemade pastrami, sauerkraut and mustard are all to die for.  In fact, the 3 of us all ordered it. 

Conversation was as filling as our lunches and serendipity was a win-win and is always welcome! 

Thank you Carol for arranging our meet-up. 

Hugs for such a great summer highlight!

TUESDAY TUNES: HEALING COMES IN ALL STYLES

TUESDAY TUNES was a gift sent to me recently and I knew many of you would also find its beauty speaking to you. The translation will follow... just listen.  Hazamir hasharon.

HEAL US NOW

MONDAY MUSINGS : SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST/HOW ABOUT WE ALL SURVIVED?

You know I knew I did this 34 years ago but that was 34 years ago ... No one ended up with stitches, sick or sitting in front of the TV and we all ate, had some fun and eventually slept, some maybe more than others. 

You see, my daughter left me in my own home in charge of a granddog, a 1 yr old grandson who has perfected a unique quick crawl and his sister almost six going on 13 from Thursday afternoon thru Sunday night as she flew off to spend some time with a dear friend. And although I had almost a week to observe her in action she didn't leave me cliff notes.

Family offered spurts of relief helping me during a park outing, covering a luncheon out, time while I met new night time caregivers for my Dad, and a Mermaid movie for you know who. 

I am happy to say we are all thrilled to have their Momma back doing things a lot more efficiently and making it look effortless... 

Some special moments to share are:

a new hairdo by Ms H. She said it wasn't going to hurt. She lied.

Park time... lots of swinging too

Littles celebrating with their cousins a 25th birthday...

Art projects...  a troll for the garden, 

      a unicorn for the frig

                              and workbook pages... 

And pool time... you don't think I could take pics,  did you? Wet swimsuits is all you get.

There is a reason childbearing is in one's younger years...

Wink, wink...

FOTO FRIDAY: INTRO'S

FOTO FRIDAY brings one of my guest visitors with the move which won the audience's applause at a dance recital's intro. Well done Ms. H. A signature move for sure!

Last week 's FOTO FRIDAY video clip in SURPRISE, SURPRISE. SURPRISE.