Look Well, Therefore, To This Day

My dad found a way to instill productivity in his children. From my earliest recollections I can hear my dad saying, "Do something constructive." and, "Finish what you start." To this day, I sometimes most often feel guilty if I am not 'doing something'! 

Dad's words echo those, a bit less eloquently or perhaps a bit more succinctly, of Kalidasa in his "Salutation to the Dawn".

I was introduced to Kalidasa's words at summer camp. Our camp director would close the morning flag raising on most days, with this powerful recommendation. For many years, the salutation meant little to me, except that it was keeping me from my breakfast. But, as I matured I began to listen to the words. I began to embrace the words. 

Look to this day

for it is life.

The very life of life.

In its brief course lie all

the verities and truths of existence;

the joy of growth,

the splendor of action,

the glory of power.

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision.

But, today well-lived

makes every yesterday 

a dream of happiness

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day;

Such is the salutation to the new dawn.

Kalidasa's words define my life.  I try to live each day to the maximum extent possible. I lie abed in the morning and plan my day. I outline each moment. Should there be a minute that I have not accounted for, I 'Look well, therefore, to this day' and get involved. I make sure that I am doing something constructive and that I finish everything most things I start. Such is the way I was raised!

Failing Memory

I received this in an email and felt, for me, it was just too 'spot on'. I just had to share!

Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music,

The pride out of appearance,

The courtesy out of driving,

The romance out of love,

The commitment out of marriage,

The responsibility out of parenthood,

The togetherness out of the family,

The learning out of education,

The service out of patriotism,

The Golden Rule from rulers,

The nativity scene out of cities,

The civility out of behavior,

The refinement out of language,

The dedication out of employment,

The prudence out of spending,

The ambition out of achievement or
God out of government and school.

And we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others!!

And, we do understand the meaning of patriotism, and remember those who have fought and died for our country.

Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts!

YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I'm the life of the party..... Even if it lasts until 8 p.m.

I'm very good at opening childproof caps..... With a hammer.

I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying.

I'm sure everything I can't find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!

Now if I could only remember who sent this to me, I wouldn't send it back to them, but I would send it to many more too!

Spread the laughter
Share the cheer
Let's be happy
While we're here.

Empty

Saturday Centus is a writing exercise. Jenny Matlock posts a prompt each week and describes limitations the writer must adhere to. This week we were challenged to write 107 words and include: saying goodbye was harder than she thought. Here is my response:

Empty

source

When did life change? When did she become everything to Dad?  She couldn’t place it on a timeline. She couldn’t recall if it happened suddenly, when Mom died, or whether it sidled up little by little. She went through Dad’s refrigerator, tossing unrecognizable tidbits and packing perishables to take with her. She looked over her shoulder as she stepped into the hall, already feeling a sense of loss. Emptiness. What would she do with her time now? Saying goodbye was harder than she thought. But imagining the adventures Dad would have with his friends on the cruise brought a smile to her face, and her heart lightened. 

I have been participating in this writing challenge for a few weeks from my other blog. But, the prompt fit so well on Dad's blog, that I decided to post it here. To read other responses to the challenge, click on the Saturday Centus button below. 

Letters

I received my first letter from Dad. He seems to be having a wonderful time on his cruise. He enjoys the food and participated in a wine tasting program, which he really liked. I was tickled that he explained how the ship has a stabilizer to keep the ship steady despite heavy seas. Yup... that's the Engineer in him! Dad even gave me statistics, such as the ship having 647 crew members, 10 decks and 2 restaurants. He is enjoying the programs they have in the theater every evening. I am thinking he likes the ship better than his retirement community!

Speaking of his community, in getting Dad's mail I came across a letter from the Director of Food Services.  He explained that a committee had investigated different coffee options for the community. They selected a different coffee than that which is currently being served for the community to try. It's amazing how quickly news spreads. Look at this paragraph from the director:

This cracked me up! Not only does word travel fast, but isn't the power of suggestion amazing?!!

It's Campaign Time - Cough up the Dough

Advertising may be described as the science of arresting 

the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.

- Unknown

My friend from Desert Canyon Living shared this quote and I couldn't help but think about all of the mail my dad has been receiving. Dad is a Republican. He has never wavered. Not once since Dwight D. Eisenhower's days in office. 
It seems that every conservative group looking for money knows that my dad is a Republican and has donated to the party. Each day he has been receiving at least five mailings from different groups. Oh, they are so very cunning! 

First, I've noticed that they employ a variety of strategies just to get the recipient to at least open the envelope. Most common, it seems, is a colorful 'stamp' saying "Important Documents Enclosed", or some such statement.  Some have highlighted a "Membership Renewal" statement, implying that Dad had already been a part of whatever organization is soliciting his attention. My favorite was an envelope stating "Currency Enclosed" and you could see the edge of a bill in the window of the envelope. (And... just whose money are they using when they send out this stuff?!!)

Getting the recipient to open the envelope is the first hurdle. Then those clever folks have to get you to read their message. They employ bright colors, highlighting, underlining, and post-it type notes. Some groups have a letter addressed to Dear friend, or Dear supporter. Some have taken the effort to address it to the recipient. Oh, the wonders of technology and databases! Organizations may craft official looking documents with impressive looking seals.  Some appeals are single paged, others have multiple pages, use different colored paper, enclose certificates, have different sized documents. But, consistent among all of the mail is that somewhere they ask that you please donate to their cause.... and include four different ranges of contributions, with a simple check off box.

There are organizations that provide Dad with a self-addressed stamped envelope while other groups require Dad to pay the postage. Many have made it easy to give online, with just a click of computer key. But in the end, they all want the same thing. Money.

Dad and I don't always see eye-to-eye on which organizations he chooses to support. Dad's lockstep focus on the Republican party and conservative causes has led to more than one lively conversation! I can't change him, he was born this way! But I do worry that as he struggles more with his reasoning abilities he may make unwise decisions or be taken advantage of by a group he thinks is doing great work, when maybe they are only doing a great job of taking money from unsuspecting people. As I was growing up, Dad helped me read things like he is now receiving with a critical eye. He helped me learn to make sound judgments. It was a growth process. I now grapple with how to keep Dad from 'unlearning' these skills.

If It's Tuesday...

Did you ever see the movie, "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium"? If you saw it then there is a good chance you are my age... or better! If not, that's OK. I don't remember all of the specifics, but it was a fun comedy about a whirlwind European tour; one of those where you are on and off the bus and on to a new destination, moving all of the time. 

Well, I can say "If It's Tuesday, it must be chats on the Farmhouse Porch!" Patrice is back from her trip. Wendell is relegated back to the pasture. And, Patrice is sharing questions asked by her readers. If you'd like to join the chat and see what others have to say, click on the picture to hop to Everyday Rurality and check out the links to others who are joining the chat.

So this week Patrice shares these questions:

1. Kimberly asks: How long have you blogged?
2. Lana asks:What is the most difficult part of taking care of chickens?
3. Susannah asks: Would you prefer to live where it's hot or cold?
4. Farm Girl asks: What sort of things are you looking forward to in 2012?
5. Dreaming asks: What's for dinner?

Here are the responses I would expect from my dad:

1. How long have I blogged? What's a blog? Why would I want to blog? Seems like a waste of time to me. I'm too busy doing other things! My dad just can't figure out social networking - and, if Dad can't figure it out... it must not be worth doing!

2. What's the most difficult part of taking care of chickens? Dad would have to say, 'I have no clue.' He's never had chickens that I know of. If he did happen to care for them, I think he'd feel that cleaning up after them is the most difficult part - and I'm not sure he'd have the patience or the passion to stick with it. Yeah, he'd love the fresh eggs, and he'd share those joyously with friends... but I'm not sure that would sustain the effort to care for them on a day-to-day basis. 

3. Would you prefer to live where it's hot or cold? This brings a smile to my face! Dad loves living wherever he currently finds himself. And, he will let everyone know that wherever that is, is the best place and everyone should live there! When Dad lived in Arizona, that was the best place. It was warm in the day, cool at night. The climate was dry. The sunsets were surreal. When Dad moved to SC, that was the best: there was always fresh seafood and the winters were fabulous. Rochester, New York was close to skiing and boating. New York City was the mecca of fine food and entertainment. Rhode Island had the best sailing, bar none! Denver, CO has the best climate. So for Dad, it isn't about the climate, it's about the other things that bring joy to his life. 

Dad enjoying one of his passions

4. What sort of things are you looking forward to in 2012, Dad? Ah, with a twinkle in his eye, Dad would say, "being on this side of the grass!" At 90 years of age, Dad is enjoying life. He's in good health, and other than a failing memory, he's having fun. Dad might also say he's looking forward to the election. He is a staunch Republican. He would love to see Obama out of the White House. But, I think he is disappointed in the Republican candidates.

5. So, Dad, what's for dinner? Damned if I know, responds Dad! He loves living an the Independent Living Community because he doesn't have to worry about dinner and cooking. He despises cooking. He doesn't do it well. He loves going up to the club-style dining and picking something from the menu. I find it interesting that Dad really enjoys fine food, but adequate food will do as well. The choices at the community aren't always the best - but he never complains. 

I'm glad that Dad could take part in the chat with y'all today. 

Winsome Wendell

Hi folks! I'd like you to meet Wendell. Wendell is a Haflinger/Belgian cross who lives with Patrice at Everyday Rurality. Click on her blog to meet Wendell; he's hosting the Farmhouse Porch Chats this week.  He's quite the gentlem... er.... horse!

Dad wouldn't want to meet Wendell, at least not up close. His preference is to meet horses from afar and then he really only gives them a passing glance. Horses were never his thing. In fact, I can remember Dad coming to only one horse show that I was in and I don't recall that he ever came to the barn.

So folks are chatting with Wendell today. He suggested we go to the barn as the porch isn't tall enough for him! So, Dad, would you consider visiting Wendell at the 'cyber' barn? No muss, no fuss...OK?!

Here are the questions we'll chat about. You can see other people's responses by scrolling to the bottom of the page when you go to Everyday Rurality.

1. What is your favorite kind of chili?
It used to be that Dad would want a nice meat and bean chili that was really hot. The hotter the better. But, age has a funny effect on one's digestive system, he tells me, and now he doesn't care for anything spicy. That's OK with me. I like a nice mild chili. Oh, and let's put some sour cream, cheese and onion on it! Last week I had to take toppings for chili to a pot luck. I also took some crumbled up taco chips. That was a great addition to the chili... chili with a little crunch. Hey, Wendell, maybe you should try grated carrots on chili!

2. What do you usually do when you feel a cold coming on?
I usually whine about it. I hate that feeling almost as much as I hate the cold! In the past few years I have begun to take mega doses of Echinacea. It seems to work. I think my cold gets condensed... it doesn't last nearly as long, but I have one day where I am pretty sure I was run over by a truck.... with a trailer! Dad is stoic. He just goes on about his life and doesn't say a thing. How did he raise someone who is so opposite?

3. Rice, potatoes, or pasta?
No, Dad, you can't have all three. You have to pick one. Usually at that point, the waiter will contradict me and Dad will have a healthy portion of carbs! He loves to eat! If I restricted him to one, he'd pick the rice. For me, that's a tough one. I also like them all. If the pasta has some sort of cheesy sauce, I'll take that, please.

4. What kind of camera do you use?
I have recently begun to use the camera feature on my iPhone. I have had an iPhone for 4 years, but just got a newer version and the camera is so much better. I can even take videos and edit the pictures a bit on the phone. (That's why you may have noticed I have more videos on my other blog.) Dad has some sort of Kodak digital camera. He's got it with him on the cruise. But, I'm betting there aren't too many pictures on it when he gets home. He isn't much of a picture taker. Before he left he was getting confused about a CD that came with the camera. He would put it in the computer thinking it was instructions for using the camera, when it was actually the software to download pictures. Several times I would get on his computer and see where he had inserted the CD. I finally found some instructions online and printed them out.

5. Are you a night owl or an early bird?
In this respect I do take after Dad. We are both early birds. We are both nodding in our chairs early in the evening. Dad has always been a great 'napper' - his skills are far superior to mine. We used to joke that Dad could fall asleep at a red light!

Well, after all this chatting, a nap sounds really good. If you don't care to nap, you can join in the chat at Patrice's and Wendell's blog!