Month: March 2018

On Losing My Father

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This is a favorite photo of my father and I. It was taken about 25 years ago or so.

The day of my last post on this blog was March 11th. It was also the last day that I saw my father alive. We had a family dinner with my mother and brother. He seemed very tired, but I had no idea that he would be gone so soon after. He died on March 14th.

I’ve gone through such an array of emotions since then. Shock, disbelief and sadness being the biggest. I wrote the obituary and the eulogy, which I delivered at his funeral last Saturday.

He lived to 85, very close to turning 86. He had a very full life and 85 is a good age, but I still feel like it was too soon and I wasn’t ready.

I appreciate that I have so many good memories of him and that I got to spend so much of my life with him. I was blessed to have him as my father and I’ve blogged about him several times.

There was a post about his favorite birthday cake, a tour that we took of Turkey Shore Distilleries, a lovely card that he sent me right before Father’s Day, and his being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He even wrote a guest post at one point.

A lot of what I have been thinking about is how glad I am for the times that we spent together.

This is definitely a new era of my life. I have never lost someone so close to me. It’s an adjustment and I have to learn how to think of myself and “just be” without a living father. I’m still trying to find my way. I guess it’s a lifelong journey.

Spring Is Coming!

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Spring forward! We have more daylight today as Daylight Savings Time begins!

Although spring isn’t officially here until the 20th, I really start to feel it when it’s light at night. Tonight it will be light until 7pm!

It also makes me start to think about things that I’d like to do this summer. I’ve been to Florida and California more recently than New York, which is so much closer! I just learned about an interesting art exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York that I would love to see.

Right here in Boston, I’m interested in getting over to the Institute of Contemporary Art far more often. There are several exhibits I’m interested in seeing. As I write this, I’m sensing a theme. I guess I want to go to museums more often! Years ago, I would go on a regular basis and I really miss it.

But I don’t have to wait until summer to visit more museums. Let me focus on the present and what I can do now. Get myself to some museums! I work just a couple of T stops from the MFA, so I could even go for a lunch break.

Thinking about spring flowers and the end of winter, a passage that I recently read in a poem by Rumi, comes to mind.

That light reveals

flowers growing in this place.

I am so amazed:

where death is,

there flowers also grow.

Laundry Day: Calm Between Storms

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What a week! My mom lost electricity for several days due to the first storm, on March 2nd, so she stayed with me for a few days.

I’m so glad that I had power! Especially living in Quincy, where there was crazy rain, flooding, wind damage and dozens of people had to be rescued by the National Guard. While I’ve often been jealous of those who live closer to the beach, I’ve recently been very appreciative of living on a hill.

Then we had another storm this week. I walked to and from the train for work during both storms and luckily wasn’t hit by any falling trees, wires or debris. I saw a piece of siding ripped off a house and go flying into the air. I’ve already barely missed being hit by a tree and hope my luck continues.

With all the chaos, my laundry has piled up. So today is the day.

While sipping my coffee this morning, I found an article about modernizing your laundry routine. Two sisters from Germany moved to Brooklyn and opened a really cool eco-friendly and sustainable laundromat with a cafe and backyard space. Wish there were a place like that in Quincy!

The sisters are interviewed about laundry and one of their suggestions is to use dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They are cheaper overall, less wasteful and healthier. Seems like a great idea, so I found a DIY blog post and might make make my own felted wool dryer balls. We’ll see.

Have you tried dryer balls? What do you think?

Well, last I heard, we’re supposed to have another storm on Monday or Tuesday. I haven’t checked again, because it’s too exhausting at this point. I’ll just enjoy the calm between the storms. Have a good weekend!