Soothing my Spirit

There is a pacific bump coming in creating 10 foot wave faces and the surfers are extatic. Watching their faces as they stand on the cliff above Hono Bay and watch their peers catch perfect faces makes me smile. There are lots of things in life that give me that feeling. I love finding old letters from my Mom or grandmother and discovering some new family story that I did not know. An afternoon nap after working hard, a beautiful sunset, calling a good friend, lunch at a favorite spot (my deck), a road trip with great music cranking on the radio, the middle of a good book (I hate for them to end). I used to get that feeling when it snowed and I knew Mark and I might get to go skiing. Now snow makes me wonder if the snowblower will start...but i still love to watch it fall. The thrill of something like skiing or surfing are not the things that make me tingle. I wish they still did. Getting older changes things (so does bad knees). But that which has replaced those active exciting things are good too. The peak of this what gives us pleasure is to return to being 2 or 3 and being like Jesus Marcos or Archer and have the same feeling they show us when they see a butterfly or for Archer Burt and Ernie. I do think I am starting to return to that "little things amaze" me part of life. That is a good place to be right now. Excuse me...I have to go watch a bird eat bread crumbs off the patio.

Tired of saying goodbye

Well,
Just when you think things are going more smoothly life throws you a curve ball and we lose another really great lady. Teresa Oller passed today and left behind a family who can't help but miss the heck out of her. We all will not just because she was an amazing human but because she was the only woman I knew who could keep Boots in line.
She would show up at Betty's and talk a blue streak about anything and everything. Darn plucky in Oller country. She was amazing to my Mom ... helping teach her how to set up her plate so she could eat without her eyesight. Mom never forgot that act of kindness nor did I.
She does leave an amazing legacy. Kris is this amazing young woman who shaved her head when her Mom lost her hair. She is as smart and eclectic as her Mom and can talk about anything. She, like her Mom, gives people the idea that she does not need to be taken care of...but under that crunchy exterior is a marshmallow heart. Kris cares deeply and is frightfully smart... heck the whole family is. Andrew hardly spoke but when he did it was something worth listening to. Betty described him as able to do anything...fix anything...
Boots, her hubby is one of my favorite Ollers and my absolutely favorite pessamist. I do not know how to tell them how to get through the grief except to hope that all of us call them frequently for no reason other than to listen and grieve with them. The losses of Mom and Betty did make this Rickard family come together in ways I never thought we would. So, If you read this give one a call.

Precious People

This has been a good time for me to reflect a bit. I think that we are so busy making a living that we miss a bit of life. Tiffany and Robert (my Neice and Nephew and great Nephew...JM) drove all the way to Nebraska to see us this winter. OK, Robert thought he would get to see a farm but he was happy with a frozen lake and a Cabellas. That was pretty special. I miss having family close enough to stop by for dinner or just to chill. I love friends too but family is really the ace. I have done a much better job with connecting with family...so has Lavonne. But for now my goal is to make sure Archer, Jesus Marcos, Tiff, Robert, Kelly, Cooper and Grant have an Aunt at least as memorable as those I had. Heck, I cannot top Aunt Betty, Gee Gee or Aunt Grace...but I can be memorable...and a bit crazy. So, here is to my year of refining my crazy aunt skills. I can't wait to see where this take me. If you have any crazy Aunt ideas...send them on to me.