Back to School

LM and I met when he began teaching in 1989 at the Community Education program where I worked. There was attraction but it was not the right timing, and we became friends who looked forward to seeing each other every Monday night, always sharing news of our children, nature news, and just plain caring about each other. Each week, I made him tea, and I did notice that he came to my desk frequently to borrow things. His course, "Take a Course, Catch a Fish", remains the longest running in Community School history and is also the most popular.
His surgery in February marked the first time he had to cancel a class and he has been so looking forward to the day he could return. TODAY is the day, and he joyfully called me on the way to school tonight, knowing he has a full class, with a wait list!
Who would have thought, way back when on the Monday nights at school, that we would be where we are now, sharing a beautiful love and life, and despite the tender age (8 months) of our love relationship, here we are survivors of his heart attack and challenges to our lives. We talked yesterday about the fact that our relationship weathered the storm and that we are doing just fine.
This past week, he really returned to himself and it is wonderful to see and hear. Once again, we are sharing a lot of laughter and love. I keep repeating this to everyone who inquires....I feel the most tremendous gratitude and sense of relief, and I have never felt more loved.
I am busy pursuing my own interests....movies with friends, projects at work, quilting and exercising and it is wonderful to know LM is back to his passions, as well as back to school!
I cannot wait for his phone call which will come as soon as he heads home from his class.

Upsie

The world has lost a very special kitty friend. This beautiful girl, Upsie, was loved and treasured by Sher over at What Did You Eat. Upsie left us peacefully on Thursday and her Mom has written a beautiful tribute and story, along with great photos. Sher has inspired me in my blog attempt and writes beautifully about her love for animals and her work as an animal rehabilitator, especially her work with baby squirrels, who she humorously made the bane of Upsie's existence. Stop by What Did You Eat and leave a comment of caring and purrs for Upsie's family, as I am sure they are grieving her loss deeply, as many of us in the blog world are right now. There are also wonderful recipes to be found on Sher's site.

We will miss you Upsie, but we know you are happy and at peace!

Gifts of Spring

A gift of Spring
Would I go near that yarn?
Quality control inspector (it passed)
Wooden knitting needles are particularly yummy!

LM, Dad, Ev and Martin

MLM, Dad, Ev & Martin
Bob takes yet another nap!

At one point on the way home from a lovely day yesterday, LM and I looked at each other and agreed that it felt like our life was back to normal in most ways, anyway. The acknowledgement evoked smiles and then further discussion of the magnitude of what has happened to both of us the past 6 weeks, and also some of the events of which LM was not aware. More healing, especially of our hearts and souls. I got through the day without crying yesterday....YEAH!

We left the Cape at 10:30 or so and arrived in Hingham to pick up Dad about noon. He was having a good day with the exception of a messy looking hemorrhage in his right eye. Dad had been wanting to take LM and my brother, Everett to The Tavern at Quarry Hill, in Quincy, for a long time. It sits on one of the highest points around and has a fantastic view of Boston, the harbor and surrounding towns. Dad loves the fact that you can look right down on to Milton, his hometown, and he could pick out so many familiar places from his childhood. The restaurant, dramatically perched on the edge of an open quarry with water at least 100 feet deep, is associated with a new golf and condominium community built on the site of the former Quincy stone quarries in W. Quincy. We all enjoyed a great lunch and celebrated being together. I was especially happy to be sitting next to LM, and to watch Dad eat a great meal of salmon cakes that were beautifully served and equally delicious! We all shared an appetizer of lobster quesadillas which were yummy. The day was made perfect by having Ev and Martin (who, by the way, has matured in to an interesting and joy-to-be-with young man) with us. Oh, how I wish they lived closed than Baltimore, MD!

After lunch, Dad went to his place and we all gathered for awhile back at my brother, Sam's, where we had to visit Bob for a bit....as you can see by the picture, he was very busy napping but he did give us all a chance to feel his deliciously soft fur and have a little kitty-love. At least Bob did not hide under the, bed as someone else we all know....ahem, Ms G. Ev had a beautiful gift to give me from my talented and dear SIL....some of her very soft handspun yarn here and a pair of lovely Lantern Moon knitting needles. The yarn is in my favorite colors and now my mind is working overtime to decide what to knit...most likely a scarf as my knitting ability is quite limited! Someday, socks, ah, yes, someday.

Today will bring more time with LM and a visit to Kristi. Her mother, Ellen, is not having an easy time with breathing. I will also go to try to find the fabric I need to finish Meaghan's quilt. Peace feels so good, normal feels so good, of course that is subjective....I think this normal is even better than before!

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

As I looked at these photos of my newly rearranged humble abode this morning, I realized that the room is filled with things which are integral parts of my child and adulthood. These things came to me when we moved my Dad from his home of 47 years to live with my brother and his family. The windsor back chair in the first picture belonged to my grandmother and was in the living room of their farmhouse which was next door to where I grew up. The mirror hung above my Mum's dressing table and that dressing table is now in my bedroom with her jewelry box atop. The Fenton vase was a star in my mother's milk glass collection, but my favorite item in my "new" room, is the charcoal drawing of the seagulls. I can vividly remember when Mum acquired that piece of art and she truly loved it. So many times as we would be leaving her house together, she would reach up and put her hand to the glass and give it a pat, even after she lost her eyesight, she knew right where they were. She loved those "lovers". There is a lot of comfort in having these things surround me in my little place.

Today was another great day, and tomorrow will be another. LM and I will be traveling off-Cape together for the first time since his surgery. My brother, Ev and his son, Martin, are visiting from Baltimore this week. We will all be so happy to be together. We last saw each other when LM and I stayed at their house on our trip in January. We will visit Dad and most likely have a nice lunch. Best of all will be having LM with us.

In Ms. G news, I caught her going around to all the lamps this morning, rubbing her cheeks against the shades. I guess she feels the moving of furniture was acceptable but she did have to leave her mark!

She's at it AGAIN

This look is sometimes sweet and sometimes it is imploring me to PLEASE stop moving things around in her house, but most of all do not under any circumstances take out her arch enemy number one, AKA the vacuum cleaner. That is one of her favorite toys she is sitting on...a felt fish, filled with catnip that she drags around until I will sit and dangle it so she can jump in the air and twist around. It was a gift from her "Aunt Nan"......who has given her some of her favorite toys and even a lovely sleeping pad filled with cat nip. Purrrrrrrs to Aunt Nan, who is missed since she moved to NY.

In other news......Happiness and energy abounded here today, so when the crazy pace at the office slowed down a bit this afternoon, I began thinking I really need to freshen things up at home and I do LOVE to move things around and give rooms a new look without spending money. When I got home at 5 I launched right in to moving all the furniture and cleaning every inch of the living room. Of course, out came the vacuum cleaner as part of the project and I got the LOOK and then she ran to hide for the duration. Now that the project is over and I am fairly pleased with it all, my girl has emerged and sniffed everything completely to make sure she can live with the change.

LM went to Provincetown to address the County League tonight on the issues surrounding the about to be imposed Federal salt water fishing license. The meeting was a huge success and he was able to spend time with one of our local reps. Next week he will address another large meeting on the issue and hope to gather support for the move to have a state license, at half the price which would preclude the federal efforts. Funds from federal licenses would not benefit the fisheries in any way, whereas all state license funds would benefit local fishery interests. I am so so proud of LM for spearheading this effort. He made that long drive yesterday after a full day....he saw his surgeon (great report), he visited his son, John for the first time since the surgery, as well as preparing for the meeting. In between he called to keep me informed on how he was doing, and talk of our love.
No wonder I had all the energy to do all the re-design in the house tonight! LM so wanted me to tell him what changes I made but I am making him wait until he visits on the weekend!

Gleefulness

It is only fitting that today was a glorious sunny day here on Cape Cod. The sun warmed us up to the low 50's and the scent of Spring was everywhere. No where was it more present than in LM's heart today. He is so happy and full of energy and enthiusiasm, not to mention declarations of love and missing "us". Music to my ears, beautiful music. Tonight he is at his Salties meeting and I just know he received a very wam and emotional welcome, after all, he has been the backbone of the club for more than 30 years, and he works tirelessly, monitoring legislation and guarding the interests of Cape Cod recreational fishermen. He called me when he got in his car and began driving for the first time since his illness and he was so excited but wanted to hear my voice and tell me how he was feeling. It is heart warming to hear how well he feels!

This was just a great day, all around......happy conversations with family and friends, feeling happy all day at work, and going to look at the ocean to give thanks this evening in beautiful twilight. Gleeful has been the theme today and I am sure for many more days to come. Now, if I can just get Ms. G to make an appearance when LM comes to visit this weekend!!!

Growth in Impossible Places

As each day gets easier now for LM, I cannot help but think of how very impossible our situation has felt over the last 6 weeks. Those thoughts led me to this photo which I took of a sweet fir tree growing out of an ancient stone wall in Acadia National Park in ME . When I found that Acadia tree last year, I was reminded of a hemlock tree which started just this way in one of the old stonewalls at my childhood home. I can remember my parents watching the growth and how finally the tree became so big it blocked the pathway from their house to the farm, and we had to trim it back. Each year at Christmas I would trim a few of the lacy boughs with which to decorate the mantle above the fireplace, and to make a wreath for the door.

With the wonderful progress LM is making each day, recovery seems like its roots are taking hold and our life is getting back on track. Today my sweet patient saw his primary care physician and got a great report. Anemia is still lingering and there was some concern about whether it is too early for a stress test, but LM feels he is ready for the test next week and will proceed. His whole outlook is so much more positive. He has arranged a very important agenda for his fishing club, the Cape Cod Salties, and tomorrow night he will drive himself to the meeting where there will be a speaker from Washington DC and one from the MA Div of Marine Fisheries to lead a discussion of the government efforts to require licensing for the recreational salt water fishermen. LM has put a lot of work in to making this happen and it is gratifying to see it come to fruition and hear his passion loud and clear. YEAH!

Also, tonight, he had a great meal and called me with such excitement....he and Bob enjoyed a roasted pork tenderloin with some nice vegetables, all perfectly prepared with herbs, onion and garlic by none other than LM. His zest for life has returned!

We had a weird weather morning out here on the elbow of Cape Cod...I got up at 5:30 and saw the beginning of sunrise, and within 45 minutes we were having a driving snowstorm...actual whiteout. It lasted about 20 minutes, covering everything with snow, and then stopped and the sun shone brightly. I love living where these things can happen!

My favorite note on LM's progress is that the lilt has returned to his voice...my world is a calm and peaceful place tonight. Ahhhhhhhh!!