What remains

I was looking for a quote online and I stumbled upon this blogpost from long ago. I thought it was worth sharing again.  Aug 27, 2009

Last night I finished reading Anne Lamott's book Plan B.
I found some of her stories engaging and some hilarious, some were so sad and some were irritating.
But they are her stories told with her remarkable way of putting words together. She is self-deprecating and honest.
She is all about the love, baby. It's important to her to love.

It's just that....she has a real hard time loving her mom. She loves her by taking care of her when she is sick and dying.
But she really resents her for being the person she is. For her flaws and weird ways and inability to be a more normal/better mom.

It made me wonder if my children would only see my stupid flaws and weird ways and focus on those when I die.

And I suppose they will. At first. Parents have a way of hurting us when they are not perfect.

My parents were not perfect. But time has rinsed the pain away. What is left is the love.
I let those bad memories fade. I let them go. Way far way...into the fog.
The good memories, I draw near. I embrace them. I cherish them.

I think we need to be gentle with those who have died.
Not for them. But for us.

Learning to forgive people for being the broken people they were is a balm to our souls.
Learning to have mercy heals our hearts.

Time heals.
Forgiveness heals.
Mercy heals.

And then what is left?
The good parts.

The good parts of them. The good parts of us.

The love remains.
Like the cat's water bowl with the hard caked on lime. That lime that will not come off, no matter how hard you scrub.

That's what you want to be stuck with. That kind of stuck on love.

It's what remains.



Love one another,
Donna

J & J vaccine

 I wanted to give you a quick update on Patrick's experience with the J & J (Janssen) vaccine.

Patrick was given the single shot at 9:00 am at a local arena.  A large tent/barn/structure was set up. He stayed in his car the whole time.  He said the shot hurt.  He has gotten flu shots for years and they did not hurt like this one did.  Patrick did not have any side effects at all.  The soreness in his arm went away in a hour or so.

He is very happy and thankful to have been able to get the J & J shot.   

That's it for now.

Encourage one another,

Donna

what's up

 Happy Friday Friends,

I hope you are enjoying some sunshine and good health.  Patrick and Katie are in process of getting vaccinated.  I'm not in a group that is allowed yet, and I think I'm fine with waiting and seeing how things are going with them.  I am a believer of individual responsibility when it comes to these health decisions...and I am okay with keeping myself safe.  We have safely gone to restaurants and spent time with our families.  

Since the beginning of all of this I have believed that washing your hands and not touching your face was the MOST important step to staying healthy.  I have also been taking a number of pills that i have researched and believe to be a good fit for me to stay healthy.  HCQ, zinc, vit C and vit D.  All the news frightens me about being overweight so that put stress on me and I chose to up the vitamins and use HCQ.

The numbers in Wis are dropping beautifully and I hope the Docs have protocols that are working for most people now and not just told to go home and do nothing.  This is something I find frustrating about this whole situation, that medical information about what is working has not be talked about at all.  Finally, Dr Drew, a tv doctor, got covid and he shared what worked for him.  I know the University in Madison was on the cutting edge of some IV treatments early on but I never heard anything  beyond the initial report.  Never before have I wanted to be a real reporter.  I wanted to go to meet with the doctors and ask just one question;  What are you doing that is working? 

Instead we just had a death count on the news.  This was frustrating to me.  

So I don't know why I felt like sharing that today......

Here is the fun news.   Cindy and I got together in Minocqua earlier this week

Cindy's word of the year is peace.

I was too busy eating to remember to take a picture of the delicious food. 

We had such a fun time talking and talking and talking.  

"

Cindy has been 'in person' teaching all year and it's going great!  She is teaching 3rd grade for the first time and really enjoying it!  Cindy is funny and friendly, she is a hard worker and has a beautiful heart! Everyone should have a sister like Cindy.  I feel so blessed.

I had to leave earlier than I wanted to because I had a hair appointment. New hair, new glasses.

Do you all get your eyebrows shaped???

Lots of love!

Donna Elsie

The things I find on YouTube

These twins listen to songs for the first time together on their youtube channel.  Here they listen to one of my faves. 

Oh Al Green.  

Adding to the beauty.

Update!  I just watched these two listen to Jennifer Holiday....so fun!!!

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie

Read with Me

 When I was a little girl I would bring Dr. Seuss books home for my mother to read to us at bedtime because they were tongue twisters and she would sometimes stumble....and I liked that.  She would probably laugh about it and that would be my favorite thing.  Laughing together.

My three favorite Dr. Seuss books for beginning readers are;

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

One fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Hop on Pop

They rhyme and are silly.  The Grinch even has a message I can get behind.

A few other children's books from my childhood that I find are wonderful for early readers are books by P.D. Eastman;

Are You My Mother?

Go Dog Go

and two more very beloved teaching books...

Put me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire

A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock

These last two seem to be more unusual but I just love them.  I've brought my own copies in to school to read with my struggling readers.  The stories are lively and both have surprise endings.

I love Harold and Piggie by Mo Willems...they are two funny dudes and I love Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.  

What are your very favorite beginning readers?  

Encourage one another,  Donna Elsie