HAPPY LAST SATURDAY OF 2013

Let’s continue with the Happy theme for these last few days in 2013 … this is the time when we were supposed to look back (2013 Review) at what happened, to take stock and to look forward to the new year (2014).  What were your accomplishments in 2013?  What are your hopes and dreams for the coming years?  Notice that I did not mention problems – we all have plenty of setbacks.  How we “keep calm and carry on” is more importantly, agree?

There are articles on the topics of saving (money and/or relationship), altering career paths, improving your health, and of course, getting ready for tax time.  One article suggests the following changes: (1) Quit smoking – I never started, so this is easy; (2) Eat right and exercise – I will try, again!!!; (3) Eliminate debt – also is easy since we don’t have any (no kids, no pets and being frugal helps); and finally (4) Start saving more money – I agree with part of this, setting money aside for emergencies or any unforeseen expenses but not for retirement because we might never get there.  We probably will have to continue working even if we lived beyond 100 years old.

The instructor for Employment Law already posted class schedule.  Spring 2014 semester starts on January 13^th.  I bought the textbook and finished reading the first two chapters.  The college only offers Employment Law in the Spring but I had to take other required coursework then.  It is fitting that Employment will be my last class for the program.  I have come full circle from when I was thrown off the bridge in June 2011, but did not allowing myself to be drown in anger/bitterness, pushing myself to the shore, at 50+ years old going back to school for a legal certificate and finally finishing the program with Employment Law class (only if I knew then what I know now).  Bad things will always happen and there are evil forces that would try to destroy your spirit, but how you fight back with a strong mind/faith and equipped yourself with the right weapons will determine the outcome of the battle.  I am more than ready ……

ONE STEP AT A TIME

I did not really pay much attention to any daredevil performances before or anyone who tried to set world record by doing something extreme (i.e. sitting in a box suspended in midair for 7 days or climbing a tall building).

I watched Nik Wallenda walked across the Little Colorado River gorge near Grand Canyon because the Grand Canyon was one of the most amazing places I have been to.  We were there in 2009 during our Route 66 Adventure.  It was so majestic and incredibly beautiful.  I especially was glad that we stayed at a hotel right at the Grand Canyon and got up real early in the morning and had the whole place all for ourselves.  No crowd, no heat and seeing the Canyon in the morning sun was absolutely glorious.

I am not afraid of height but got ozzy when I looked down at the Colorado River, even from behind the rail.

The lesson I learned from watching Wallenda walking across the Grand Canyon was (1) just take one step at a time towards your goals; (2) you must have steady feet and concentrate on what or where you are going; (3) draw your strength knowing there are others supporting and cheering you on; (4) most importantly, trust in God for He will always provide what you need.

RETURN TO SENDER

I found this letter marked "Returned - Deceased" while cleaning out my home office.  It was a Christmas card I sent to Vivian.  I knew Vivian when I started working for a manufacturing company in Michigan back in 1989.  I handled payroll and accounts payable for the Wall Products Division.  The previous employee already left and Vivian had to train me to process the timecards and how to submit the information to Home Office in Shreveport, Louisiana where Vivian worked as Accounting Manager.  I still remember fondly our first phone conversation.  I am not being disrespectful to Vivian but it was so comical as we tried to understand each other, even though we both were speaking English.
While Vivian had a very strong Cajun Creole Louisiana accent which I never heard of, she struggled to understand my Vietnamese-Queens-New York accent.  Vivian was kind and patient.  She never raised her voice or made me feel as if I was less than capable of learning what needed to be done.
A few years after I moved to St. Louis, Vivian retired, sold her house and moved to an apartment.  We continued to keep in touch.  Then she had to give up the apartment and moved into an assisted living facility.  From her Christmas card in 2010, I could tell from her handwriting that she has gotten weaker.  I did not receive a Christmas card from Vivian in 2011 but I continued to send one last December (2012).  I got the card back late January.
"Mesi, Vivian" for your kindness and friendship.  I was blessed to have known you.    

WILD CARD WEEKEND

Since the St. Louis Rams (2-14) did not make it to the playoffs (again) and I don't have any new football photos to post, so these photos will have to do. After the whole week of nice weather in the upper 60s (it reached 74s on Thursday), the temperature dropped down to mid-40s today. You could tell from these photos I took after coming out of church this morning that it was cloudy and grayish sky. After Mass, I brought Holy Communion to a parishioner who was discharged from the hospital earlier this week and is at home under hospice care. "Martha" looks weak compared to when I visited her on Wednesday. When I saw the red berries on the bare branches against the gloomy sky, I thought how about nature end-of-life, and sometimes we try to hang on to things, unable to let go, knowing that there was very little left. Martha smiled when I told her I also brought her a copy of the bulletin. After we prayed, I said goodbye and that I would bring her Holy Communion again on Wednesday even though we both knew that might not be necessary.

This is Wildcard Weekend "Do or Die" round. Yesterday, Saturday, Jan. 7th, the Detroit Lions gave the New Orleans Saints a hard time in the first half but could not hold the ground. The Saints advanced with a win 45-28, sending the Lions back to their den. The Houston Texans also won 31-10 over the Cincinnati Bangels. Latest news - my American hometown team the New York Giants had a big win 24-2 over the Atlanta Falcons (I should have bet with my sister who is now living in Atlanta but she does not care about football.) It should be a great match-up when the Giants play against the Packers in the Divisional Round next week.

ROAD CLOSED

A Christmas card from my former neighbor in Michigan arrived today. Becky wrote that she has ended her marriage to Jeff. They got married the year before we moved to St. Louis, so that was 18 years ago. Becky did not provide the details and I am not sure if I would ask or wish to know. She wrote it was sad, painful but necessary. I plan to call her after the holidays since Becky went to visit her daughter in upstate New York. Just to get away, she said. Becky was born in Syracuse, New York. She moved to Michigan with her first husband and decided to stay after the divorce. I started this post a long time ago. After I posted these images, I could not find a good story to fit these signs, Road Ends, Road Closed, Road Closed Ahead. I often wonder it would have been nice if there were signs like these to let us know so we could turn around before running into dead end in our marriage, employment or relationships. We could avoid the heart breaks if we could see down the road that the marriage will not last or to avoid the potholes on the uneven paving when making major decisions. It would have been nice to know that a new supervisor from hell would be taking over the department after we accepted what we thought was an ideal job. Looking back, we all encountered these "road closed" signs. We have no choice but to turn around and find another open road. And that was good because at least there was an option. The end of 2011 is almost here, and another year is ahead. So if you face these road ends, road closed, in your life, just turn around and consider the new year as the open road for new adventure and opportunities.

THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES

We stopped by an Estate Sales last weekend. It was in the Ladue area. Google it and you will find that Ladue was named one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America. It was a big house and there were a lot of expensive items in all the rooms. I often wonder what happened to the people who used to live in the house. Did they pass away or move into a nursing home and had to leave everything behind? There were items from countries around the world that the owners collected from their travelling days or given to them as gifts. I bought two notebooks, both brand new. It was marked $1.00 for the "Thoughts and Memories" and $1.50 for the green cover Journal. I flipped thru the blank pages and wonder whether the person was given these items or the notebooks were bought with the intention to write down the thoughts and memories after loved one passed away but somehow were never written down.
The sticker on the upper right corner explains "Journal - A special place to capture memories, thoughts, and feelings about a loved one who has passed.". The pages inside were empty, was it too painful to put into words or the journal was misplaced and forgotten? Whenever I looked at the clutter around the house, I wonder what my family or strangers from the estate sales company think about me when they sort thru the earthly possession I had accumulated. Would they question who I was as a person or they just mechanically decided how much each item was worth and not the memories that was part of my life? How do I want to be remembered and what do I want to say right now to those I really care about? Thoughts and memories are just empty pages at an estate sales. Don't wait - Write down now by living and filling the pages in your life each day to the fullest.

STREET MUSICIANS (TOTA LOVES NOLA)

Last week at a business meeting, I met a person who recently moved to St. Louis from New Orleans. I told her about my visit in May to the Big Easy and how much I enjoyed the town. For someone who is usually considered a "stuffed shirt", I sure had a great time moving to the music while walking around the Quarter.

Perhaps deep-down I am really a wild party animal who loves to drink, dance all night having a great time with no responsibilities whatsoever! I wonder if I was a talented musician, would I dare to live a carefree life as a street performer? I watched the lovely young lady playing her violin performing a classical music note (it might be Tchaikovsky) with an upbeat tune. I smiled when I saw her roller skates, another symbol of being carefree, fly away wherever and whenever she wishes.

The tourists gathered around and most in the audience was impressed with the little boy (below photo) making all the right gestures as if he was really playing the horn. Someone commented that the little boy was part of the act and that he was not just a passerby. I did not stay around to find out and I did not care to know if it was just an act. I was on vacation with my sister, and having fun watching the kid "performing" was good enough for me.

When I first came back to St. Louis, I could not stop talking (and posting) about New Orleans. I am still excited when talking about the town. Maybe because when TOTA was in NOLA, there was a lot of HAHA :)

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD

A few weeks ago, my husband alerted me when he saw a yellow finch in our backyard. I only caught a glimpse of its brilliance yellow. The next few days I looked out the kitchen window, anxiously kept watch but "Yan" never came back. (I came up with the name "Yan" as a Finnish name for baby boy - it is perfect for a male yellow finch, don't you agree?) Hey QQ, are you impressed with my "punstering", finch = Finnish?

I went to a local Wild Bird Marketplace and bought the above feeder and a pound of "yummy food". The young lady at the store was very helpful, and she assured me that "Yan" and his friends will be visiting. I am very pleased to report that I have enjoyed many hours of "bird watching" since we put the feeder out under our patio. That was "Yvette" in the above photo. I learned that the male finch has bright yellow overall, black wings with white edging, black cap and forehead, pinkish orange, pointed and conical bill. The female, Yvette, has dull yellow (that is so unfair), dark, blackish wings with wingsbars and lack of streaking.

This little bird was checking out the "Communication Condominium" but decided not to sign the lease. We might have to hold another open house and lower the price. Perhaps we could add sports program including NHL Center Ice as an incentive to close the sale! (It would be difficult for me to get inside the mailbox to watch hockey games - haa haa).

The meeting on Tuesday, June 14th went well. I was calm and maintained a high level of professionalism. I felt good for standing up and defended my dignity and honor. I challenged the leadership to show that they are educated, smart business people of good characters, high values and will do what is right and honorable.It was a special treat when we saw the above red bird. Was it red-billed firefinch? Or cassin's finch?

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did (taking the photos and sharing these images with my faithful readers - haa haa).

I continued to attend daily morning Masses. (Fr. CD inspired me with his homily that instead of giving up something during Lent, we should be doing more like attending daily Masses.) I prayed for strength. (I don't pray, "God, please get that son of a B!{&#".) I don't want to be bitter or revengeful. My former boss in Michigan told me that "revenge often leaves a hallow victory". I still keep in touch with RJS because I have great respect for him. He is a man of characters, strong faith and he lifts up those around him.

It is a beautiful world and I am reminded that we should not let a few "rotten apples" ruin what is good. I am grateful for the support from my family, friends and even from those I never met (thanks, Alisa - http://www.alisajoy.blogspot.com/ for your kind words). I will be stronger and wiser.

ALONG THE RIVER(S)

I took these photos on Saturday, April 30th to show how high the water on the Meramec River was. The two right lanes of Missouri Route 141 (photo below) had to be closed due to the rising water on the road.
My sister was scheduled to come into town on Thursday, May 5th. We were planning a road trip to Nashville on the 6th, then to Memphis on the 7th and back to St. Louis on the 8th. On Wednesday, the 11th, "Da Sistas" would fly to New Orleans for a few days. CH was going to a conference and I just came along to have fun in the Big Easy.

From these photos you would not know that there was supposed to be a walking trail but now completely under water.

Have you ever been "stuck in a rut" and could not get moving? There are so many photos and stories I would like to share but somehow I could not get motivated to get back to blogging regularly. I still enjoy reading other blogs but I have not been able to publish. I sure hope it is only a temporary setback. Perhaps I should just post cheesy photos and don't worry too much about writing. The world does not depend on my little boring blog for the latest news or useful words of wisdom.

MORE NEW LIFE (THE HARD WORKING RABBIT)

Roxanne (above photo) has been working very hard digging (photos below) preparing a place for her babies.

From the windows in my home office, I watched Roxanne moving the dirt, stuffing layers of grass inside the nest and testing to make sure there is enough room for all the little bunnies she is about to give birth. (Does rabbits know in advance how many little bunnies were going to be born?)

I mentioned to my husband about Roxanne so he would be careful when cutting grass around her nest.

I told my sister about Roxanne. CH said she look forward to sitting in the patio, relaxing and watching the little bunnies running around the backyard. Country living at its best :)

NEW LIFE (THE SILLY ROBINS)

We had a wonderful Easter despite the threat of severe weather, the gloomy sky and the heavy rain. On Saturday morning (April 23rd), my husband drove to the local Polish grocery in downtown St. Louis to get the traditional kielbasa (Polish sausage). There is still a small Polish community there but the area is not a desirable neighborhood. To ease my worry, CP told me not to worry because "the bad guys are still sleeping and not causing any trouble so early in the morning"!
After CP safely home, we enjoyed breakfast that included eggs, a slice of the kielbasa and the babka (the traditional Polish Easter sweet bread that has raisin and fruit). We spent the day relaxing, eating and taking nap (and watching Stanley Cup playoffs games). We decided to attend 7:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday (April 24th) so we could get "good seats" and don't have to stand because at later Masses would be crowded with those "once-a-year" churchgoers.

We again spent Easter Sunday relaxing, eating and taking nap (and watching more Stanley Cup playoffs games).

A few weeks ago we noticed a bird nest was being built under the roof of our front porch. (There was no eggs when Qaptain Qwerty was here.) I was able to take a photo of the eggs (four beautiful blue shells) while my husband held up the mirror (one of his tools for checking under the cars). Yesterday we found out (while the mother was elsewhere getting food, i.e. worms) there were two little robins and two eggs that have not yet been hatched (bottom photo).

Because the nest is in the front porch, every time when we go out or get back into the house, the silly robin (I named her April) would fly away to the tree next to the garage (top photo). Lately she made lot of noise while flying away, like saying, "You hockey maniac, don't you dare touching my children."

My husband said he heard April yelled at her husband (George) for building the nest where too much traffic. George responded that the reason he chose our front porch because there are two cool cars, the T-bird and the Mustang!

"Feed me, feed me, I am hungry", the little robins screaming for more worms. Would you like to name these babies?

FEBRUARY 2011

I blinked and the month of February was gone!

February 2011 roared into the year with an ice storm that terrified St. Louisians and somewhat handcuffed the Midwest region. Some of us could tell the grandkids stories about how we survived the 2011 Monster Storm!

“OK, TOTA, are you going to tell exactly when your birthday is?” my adoring fans and faithfully readers probably are asking. I saw many blogs with hundred of followers, one with almost 1,000 followers. Yet, when the person posted that it was his/her birthday on a particular date, there were about 54 out of 596 followers that took the time to send comments wishing the person Happy Birthday. (What about the other hundred of followers?) Another blogger has 58 followers and only 5 sending birthday wishes. I must admit that the reason I don’t wish to share exactly the date when my birthday is because I was afraid that I would not receive even one comment on my special day. Is it silly for me, a 50 years old person, to be so insecure about such trivia matter? Well, if you must know, my birthday is on February 30th – haa haa.

February also brought many fun events such as the Lunar New Year (Tet) and of course, the Superbowl. I felt somewhat productive with my commitment to do more community services. I continued to help out at the monthly dance party for adults with mental challenges. I contacted three different hospice programs, two at local hospitals and one skilled care center. I already signed up for a refresher training scheduled in April. Until I am able to visit patients, I plan to start helping with special outreach projects. I am also involved with a local charity organization on a special project to send a shipment of 500 wheelchairs to Viet Nam. There are also plans to set up medical clinic in remote areas to provide much needed care to those in need of basic treatments.

My Dad passed away 10 years ago on February 13th. In all that I do, whether working or serving others thru volunteer activities, I do my best to honor my Dad. I know Dad is watching over me and our family. I hope he tells other angels, “That is my daughter (my sports buddy) and I am proud of her!”

The flowers with a balloon and the bear were from my sweet husband. My sister, CH, sent me these beautiful roses and calla lilies. I am thankful to be older and turning 50 was not too bad considering the other option – haa haa.