Eulogizing Dad

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Today, is the seventh anniversary of my Dad’s passing. It seems like yesterday.

My Dad was an avid Iowa State Cyclone fan and today is the Big 12 championship football game. My siblings and I will cheer them on from Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, and parts of Iowa. We will also be joined by our Dad in heaven. Here’s to you Dad and your Cyclones today! We love you and miss you!

The following is the eulogy I wrote to honor my Dad and delivered at his funeral:

Good morning. 

I am Sherry, one of Jerry’s girls.  Most people can still pick each one of us out of a crowd.  In fact that happened again Friday as I walked across the parking lot at Brogan’s. 

I’d like to start by saying that we’d all like to thank you for braving this cold, snowy day to honor our father, grandfather and great-grandfather. 

I brought with me today a most precious gift Dad made for each of us many years ago.  It is a wooden plant stand fashioned out of the wood from cedar trees that once stood behind the house at the farm.  He cut these trees down and took them to a neighbor’s sawmill and cut them into the wood planks he would use to create this work of art. 

Eulogizing Dad
A precious gift made by my Dad, Photo by slc

The plant stand is significant not only because it was a precious gift, but also because I believe it symbolizes our Dad. 

This plant stand has a broad, sturdy base or foundation.  Dad grew up knowing hard work and family values.  He was a pillar of strength to many.  His parents, his brothers and sisters, his daughters and son, his neighbors, his friends, and his grandchildren.  He was always willing to help. 

I remember one snowy day much like this one when I was young, but one with much more snow.  The wind was blowing snow over the road at the top of our hill and it created a huge snow drift.  We were inside the warm farmhouse watching television as a lone car approached, not knowing the drift was impassible.  The driver would bury his car in the drift and Dad would go out in the wind and cold (and most of you know how much he hated the cold). He would start up the tractor and pull out the car so the traveler could be on their way.  He would never accept any money for his help.  That was just what you should do.  Help people.  Be a strong and sturdy base. 

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Nursing home phones keep families connected, part 2

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nursing home phones part 2
Zoom call with Mom, Photo by slc

Face time, Skype, Zoom, Webex, Google Hangout. A few months ago many of us had never heard of these virtual platforms let alone used one. Who knew technology was going to play such a large roll in how we communicate with our friends and families this year? They have become an important for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to keep families connected.

Keeping families connected during the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard and often times very sad. Many people with loved ones in assisted living and nursing homes received word they were not allowed in person visits, even during an illness or prior to death. Many residents died without family around and the family was not allowed to hold a funeral to grieve with others. How much longer must nursing home phones and other devices be the only means to keep families connected?

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Tailgating at Arby’s

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tailgating
Iowa Football Game Day, Photo by Iowa City Press-Citizen

Have you ever been tailgating? When I was in my 20s, a long time ago, I tailgated with my future husband at the Iowa Hawkeye football home games. There were lots of people, lots of food, lots of anticipation for the game, and lots of beverages. Sometimes we even tailgated just the two of us from the back of our car with our grill we brought from home. I have fond memories of those fun days in the fall.

The other day I pulled into the drive thru lane at Arby’s. In the parking lot I noticed five or six women tailgating. They had parked their SUVs so the hatches opened next to each other. They even had a couple of lawn chairs out. They happily sat in the backs of their vehicles while eating, chatting and enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather. They were tailgating at Arby’s.

What a great idea during this time when most indoor dining is closed and you can’t attend football games. Maybe these ladies have started a new trend…tailgating at Arby’s, minus the grill and the beer!

tailgating at arbys
Pin on Football and Tailgating, Photo by Pinterest

Choose happiness and new lighting

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“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the future.”

–Jim Rohn

As you may know, I recently purchased and moved to a new home in a new town. The home I purchased was not what I was truly hunting for but it was in the right location. The night before closing I walked through the home, the “final walkthrough” they call it. I told my realtor I changed my mind and I didn’t want the house any more. The house was beat up. The trim was chipped, the overall paint job could have been done better by my grandchildren, it seemed darker than I remembered, drywall patch jobs were elementary at best, and the place was just dingy and dirty. Despite the condition, I closed on the home the next morning and got to work. I was determined to choose happiness.

Little by little, I am working to design this shell of a house into a happy home, a home with some class. One of the many things I learned from my past moves is not to wait until you sell a home to spruce it up. The sooner you make it yours the better. One major aesthetic change I made was the main floor lighting.

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12 ideas to celebrate 12 days of Christmas

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Many of us have put up our Christmas tree and decorated our homes looking for happier times ahead. But what about our loved ones in assisted living or nursing homes? They probably are not able to join you or be close to family this time of year. Their tree and decorations are put up by staff members mostly. How about making the 12 days of Christmas brighter for them this year? Here are 12 ideas:

12 Days of Christmas
Outlined the hands of my 3 grandchildren to make branches and youngest grandson’s foot for trunk. Photo by slc
  1. Buy or make 12 cards to send each day until Christmas. Your loved ones will know you are thinking about them every day during this holiday season.
  2. Have your children and/or grandchildren, or even you, create some crafts. Pinterest has lots of ideas like the one I created with my three grandkids three years ago pictured on the right. Everyone loves handmade gifts, plus it’s fun making them!
  3. Take a picture of the family or make a collage if the family isn’t able to get together. Have a canvas print made at Walgreens or Walmart. These prints look like a painting and will be treasured.
  4. Have a special treat such as a favorite meal or dessert delivered to them.
  5. Remember, during this time your loved one may not be able to get out to shop. Last year, I sent my Mom some black bootie socks as she is wheelchair bound and she doesn’t wear shoes. The white ones she had were pretty dingy looking. Small gift but easy to mail and useful.
  6. Send copies of old photos along with a short note of remembrance of the time.
  7. Order a book online and have it mailed to your loved one directly to save yourself shipping costs.
  8. Purchase a coloring book and colored pencils for them. I love coloring in mine on lonely nights.
  9. My Mom always liked doing word searches but is no longer able to. If your parents can still do them buy a couple and send one a week along with a card.
  10. Send a small poinsettia, small tree or Christmas bouquet for them to enjoy during the season. Don’t wait until Christmas.
  11. Write and send a poem or a story about something joyful that happened in your childhood. Maybe describe your happiest holiday memory which included your loved one.
  12. Ask them if you could send Christmas cards out for them this year. Again, they may not be able to get out to pick any up or to get stamps. They could dictate a small note for you to include in the card. Relatives and friends would probably love hearing from them.

No partridge in a pear tree needed, just your love and a daily prayer too. Do you have an idea to share?

Rabbit rabbit

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Today is December 1, 2020. So what? you might ask. Well this is the day my luck is going to change. This morning when I woke I said, “Rabbit rabbit.” Now, I will have good luck for the month.

I first heard this saying years ago when my daughter, grade school at the time, told me that if you say rabbit, rabbit on the first day of the month it will bring you good luck. She said she heard of it on television. I think it was Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse, a Saturday morning show.

Dictionary.com reports, “…the phrase rabbit rabbit is a long-held superstition thought to bring about good luck. But it’s not to be uttered just any old random day. Rather, if you say it on the first day of the month before any other words come out of your mouth, then luck is thought to be coaxed your way. If you get your rabbits in, luck is yours for 30 days … or so goes the folklore.” Even the Farmer’s Almanac states the saying, “can be traced back to a 1909 British periodical called Notes And Queries.”

rabbit rabbit
Aftermath of neighbors Halloween party, Photo by slc

In the past 30 days I have had two unlucky events occur. One, my fence was broken when underaged drinking teenagers climbed over it as the cops knocked on the neighbor’s door. The kids were having a large, and loud, Halloween party. About 40-50 kids climbed the fence into my backyard and broke the side gate to get out. I just finished the repairs last week. Now, I need to try to get compensated for the expenses.

The second event occurred after the Cameron Peak wildfire restriction was lifted. I drove up to my cabin property to find a large slash pile in my parking area. I am thankful the fire did not reach our area of Glen Haven and I understand the need to put the pile somewhere in the open. That was not the real bad luck event.

rabbit rabbit
Slash pile is in the foreground, Photo by slc

This slash pile did not come from my property. I spent the last three years and $800 to clear debris and limbs on my property. The unlucky event came after it took me an hour to move the pile to an out of the way place, thinking no one would be back to get it until spring or summer. However, someone did come back.

The next day they returned and chipped the entire pile onto a grassy area on my property. When I saw this I was livid. The debris covered shrubs I planted for erosion control as well as the grass around my new shed. This once beautiful area is now buried in 3-4 inches of cedar and pine tree bark and needles. All I could see was more restoration work. This should not have been my work to do.

I contacted the county Office of Emergency Management and they said they were sorry but there was nothing they could do about it.

So, today starts a new month and better luck; I hope and pray. Rabbit rabbit.

I’ve been moved, again

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Ive been moved
Photo by Abbreviations.com

As the former spouse of an IBM employee for 21 years, my family experienced six corporate moves. The joke among us was that IBM didn’t stand for International Business Machines, but instead it stood for I’ve Been Moved. I recently moved again. This time I chose to move to be closer to my grandchildren, reduce expenses and to leave a toxic neighborhood.

I have three grandbabies, ages almost 9, 7 and 5. They are growing up so fast. Before Covid-19, they were active in soccer, basketball, dance, piano, volleyball, and t-ball. I drove 30 minutes one way to watch them perform for about 45 minutes and loved every minute of it. Now, I’m just five minutes away when sports start again. Being close to family helps me out too if I need help. No need to consider travel time when planning our outings.

By moving from one county to another and buying a smaller home, my property taxes have decreased. Next year, instead of paying $2,422 in Larimer County, I’ll be paying $1,770 in Weld County, saving me $652. However, I believe Weld County is behind in updating property values so taxes will surely rise in the future. In addition, I moved to a property without an Homeowners Association (HOA) so I will save $544 a year in dues. While these amounts are not large, every little bit helps when health care and other expenses keep rising while my salary as a substitute teacher stays the same.

Some of you may remember I lived in an older (age of homes and residents) and a somewhat toxic neighborhood with a self-managed HOA. I referred to it as a Harassing, Overbearing Authority. The neighbors, with a few exceptions, were busy bodies. They made comments either to my face, through email, or by leaving a note on my door about everything. From what plants are you planting to how often do I walk my dog. One woman even asked me how I was able to afford my home on my own. They were always in my business and the HOA, in my opinion, was mismanaged.

This past January I had had enough when HOA dues were raised again to cover management errors. I tolerated this unpleasant situation for over seven years. I even joined the board as president for 2-1/2 years to try to make a difference.

Even though I spent a lot of time and money on my house to make it a home, I put it on the market and moved in September. After living in Loveland, CO for 24 years, I now live in peace and enjoy the community where I worked as a teacher for 14 years.

So yes, I’ve been moved many times but this time I chose to move. It wasn’t easy, in fact it was overwhelming and very stressful at times, probably why most retirees stay in their homes. I am happy and relieved to have left a toxic situation and begin a new chapter with my family nearby.

If you’ve made a similar move recently, please share your experience in the comment section below.