Last letter......

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING - this is the last "why I am thankful for you" letter I wrote to my Mom - a time honored tradition to all who sit at our Thanksgiving table....Mom was too weak to be here for Thanksgiving 2011 and then she passed on July 13th 2012......I am thankful for her every day and her love is HUGE.....



Thanksgiving 2010

Dear Mom-

My, my, my...............where do I begin?   First, I am SO grateful that you are here, this day of Thanksgiving to share and celebrate our family and all the love that abounds.  I feel I am living a miracle.

This year certainly has had it’s share of life’s challenges, I am in awe of how brave and strong you are as you faced each one.  Your faith continues to inspire me and give me hope as you turned to your God in moments of total despair and in moments of pure joy.  As you surrendered to harsh realities you found beauty and understanding and gratitude to balance your world.  So often your faith was tested and each and every time, your faith won.

I was privileged to watch you literally come back to life - with laughter and song and appetite and mobility and self care and hopes and dreams - they all re-surfaced like gifts waiting to be opened and appreciated.  You unwrapped each one and began to live fully again.  Oh Mom - like the moth to the butterfly you have emerged - more beautiful than ever - and that sparkle of blue still shining in your eyes.  I truly have witnessed and lived this life-giving miracle that together,  you and God created.  Hallelujah!

I am forever grateful for your seasoned wisdom, unyielding faith, empowering love, and gentle humor.  I love how you love me.  I love and enjoy our daily talks and that somehow, being so close  to you, completes me.  I am forever thankful that you are MY Mom - and that our lives are so lovingly blended in the very best of ways.

I love you Mom, forever, and “thank you”

Love,

Gimpy-Gays

Hit hard

Hi, I was hit hard last night with a flu-virus.  Spiked a fever of 101.2, had the chills so bad and I shivered so hard I thought my teeth might crack.  The muscle aches were/are awful AND the MS took a hit.  My weaker side (right-leg) is really struggling to move. It is a bit better today than last night but I have a ways to go to get back to my "abnormal-normal"...

 I am overwhelmed by all the transitions and emotions that go along with such changes, as well as my Mom's birthday yesterday and the 10 year anniversary of my Sister's son passing away.  It is time to slow down, take stock and really respect my limits.  I feel so badly for Skipp because he picks up the slack on everything.  He is so generous, kind, and understanding.  I am SO blessed.

Please send prayers and good thoughts.  Please.

A SNOW STORM named ATHENA

 Earlier this afternoon

 A bit later

 Half hour ago

 Athena intensifies

I have the fire going in the wood stove. I have flashlights, candles and water (for flushing) all set - separate from what we use to drink I have chicken noodle soup I can heat up on the wood stove and other non-perishable items.  Fingers crossed we don't lose power again. Seems we just got up and running!  Nature doesn't really care much about the timing of such things - no bargains to be made or negotiations of any kind - rather, once again, an opportunity to be resourceful, brave, patient and hopeful - knowing, this too shall pass......but baby, "It's Cold Outside........."

A storm passed

 Above is a tree in our complex uprooted.

 This is our town Green -

This is the calm after the storm.

We have power back after surviving five days with out.  We managed pretty well and feel very blessed considering all the devastation and loss at our shore and the HUGE losses along the Jersey shore and the burroughs of NY.  Staten Island is heart wrenching and Manhattan is overwhelmed with challenge.  You all know the tragic details so I wont go on about it.
We took a ride down to our shoreline yesterday and after viewing houses destroyed and landscape torn apart we made our way to the waters edge of Long Island Sound about 15 miles from our home - and there we found a calm image of a storm passed with hope for recovery and some normalcy once again.
With hope for us all