August 2013 – SeasonedSistah

Mother-Daughter Vacation

I am a SeasonedSistah with more “years of past memories” than “years of future living,” valuing and cherishing every moment I am with family and friends.

For the past four summers, my daughters have gifted ME with a one-week “Mother-Daughter Vacation ” in Martha’s Vineyard. The grands will join us if they have no summer program scheduling conflicts. Two of my grandsons, CJE (13 years) and GPK (17 years) tagged along. During this vacation, I am comforted, spoiled, loved, and treated like a SeasonedSistah Queen.

This summer, I stepped out of my “comfort zone” and tried the camera functions on my IPAD and IPHONE. The quality is not the best, but I really enjoyed taking the pictures. So much so, I plan to purchase a camera and look into a photography class this fall.

I love spending “quiet time” with my “visual memories”

Rental Abode

They rent the same house every year. It is spacious, comfortable, and the kitchen is well-equipped with cooking utensils and small kitchen appliances for both “simple” and “gourmet” meal preparations.

Three Special Eateries

First Night “Must Have”

Mid-Week Lunch – Seafood Lunch

(Sidebar – Our POTUS arrived the day after we left the Vineyards)

Transportation

I luv riding around the Island in the open top jeep.

The Daily Roundup – Rocking Chair Haven

Daytime Views from Front Porch

Sunset View from Front Porch

Views from Oak Bluff’s Dock

Daughters

Grands

Other Daughter from Another Mother

The Other Daughter was “on-the-go” for the entire week. After biking or running every day, she willingly transported and chaperoned the grands along with her son for trips to the beach and other Island activities. Daughters and I relaxed on the porch, read our IPADS and rocked in our chairs for most of the day. Thank You Other Daughter.

I really enjoyed my “Mother-Daughter” vacation; and, the “visual memories” will carry me through until the family comes together for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Retirement with Hubby in Florida these past three years opened up time for us to reflect on our lives as well as pursue new adventures. But, I do miss the regular face-to-face contact with my children and grands.

Weekly Wishes #1

I am a five year-breast cancer survivor. Sadly, there is no cure for breast cancer. In an effort to avoid a re-occurrence, I must set up a healthy relationship with my “mind, body and spirit.” No longer do I want to sabotage my survival, I am a Creation of God and must learn to Honor and Love “ME.”

My long-term WISHES as I embark upon this journey to live a Healthier Lifestyle are to “eliminate negative behaviors” and “implement positive actions.”

The following are WISHES I plan to fulfill during Week #1

Exercise – 30 to 60 minutes daily.
Hydrate – minimum eight glasses of water daily
Meditate – 20t o 30 minutes daily.
Sleep – 7 to 8 hours nightly.
Food – reduce/eliminate carbs, sugar, caffeine, fats, soda.

So excited to join other blogs like Stages of Gold and Postcards from Rachel as I tread down this path to a healthy and positive way of living.

Can’t wait to share the results of Week #1 with you on Monday, September 2.

Old Travelers

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about childhood summer vacations with my grandparents who lived in a small rural town in the Mississippi Delta. “Black Travelers” is a sad but true recollection of the “special accommodations” we had to make as Black people when traveling by car and vacationing during the Jim Crow and Pre-Civil Rights eras.

“Old Travelers” is my story today about Hubby and ME traveling in our seventies.

Since moving to Florida more than three years ago, we have flown back to our former home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at least two-three times per year without a problem.

This year, we just couldn’t get it right. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to make us realize we needed a “special accommodation” travel plan to avoid things like —

• Mistake #1 – Departing to Milwaukee – Orlando International Airport
Everything was going smoothly. There were no long lines at either the airline’s check in or security points.

Hubby and I: (1) boarded the Air Rail to our concourse; (2) walked the entire concourse looking for our departure gate number without success; and (3) finally decided to check with an airline attendant, who politely said, “your flight is leaving from our other concourse.”

Oh Heck No!!! We had only thirty minutes to (1) reverse our long walk; (2) re- board the Air Rail; (3) board the correct Air Rail; and (4) walk the concourse in search of our departure gate, of course, it was at the end. But, we made it. Thank You Father for leading us to exercise at the YMCA 16 years ago.

• Mistake #2 – Oh, No You Didn’t
Finally, I am sitting comfortably on the plane, totally exhausted, and looking forward to this three-hour early morning flight as a well deserved “rest period”. The announcement came over the intercom, “turn off all-electronic equipment in preparation for takeoff. “ Out of the blue Hubby asked, “Did I close the garage door?” Since, I had no idea; he telephoned the taxi driver who always transports us to the airport. He didn’t know. But, kindly volunteered to go and check. Fortunately, Hubby had just enough time to give him our garage keypad code before the flight attendant’s final walk-through.

I slept through the entire flight. Sadly, Hubby worried about whether he had left the garage door open.

We landed in Milwaukee. And, when the announcement came on that it was okay to turn on cell phones, Hubby telephoned the transportation service driver.

The bad news, Hubby did not close the garage door.

The good news, the transportation driver with the assistance of an unknown neighbor successfully entered the security code and closed the garage door.

The best news, there are honest people in this world.

Everything was in its place. Nothing was missing. Believe it or not, Hubby and I never expected anything different. Why? We believed in the trustworthiness of our unknown neighbor and transportation driver.

• Mistake #3 – Returning to Orlando – Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hubby printed out our boarding passes the evening before. The airline transit service picked us up from our son’s home at 6:00 a.m. for a flight departure time of 8:50 a.m.

Arrived at airport within 30 minutes. We found the right concourse this time (hurrah!!). There was plenty of time to have coffee and a bagel before we walked the short, short distance to our departure gate.

When we reached the departure gate at 8:25 a.m. the airline attendant said, “your flight departed at 8:20 a.m. – we paged you on the intercom.” No, we didn’t. Why, we had no idea?

Convinced there was no way he could have gotten the time wrong, Hubby checked our boarding pass. To his dismay, the departure time on the boarding pass was 8:20 a.m.

The only option left was a 3:45 p.m. direct flight to Orlando. Hubby spent most of this wait time questioning how he could have made such a mistake and repeatedly asking whether I was upset with him.

Frankly, it was a fun day for me – IPAD reading time, relaxing time, sleeping time, people watching time, and margarita time along with a great lunch. Saved the best for last — an Auntie Annie’s pretzel, to eat on the flight.

Our vacation this year, confirmed the need for Hubby and Me to develop a “special accommodation” plan. After all, we are “Old Travelers”.

Weekly Writing Challenge: Fit to Write

Impressive writing on what chronic pain patients might encounter on any given day. Having lived with chronic pain since 1993, I can relate.

Remembering “ME” – Part 3

“This is the third in a series of three articles, responding to

questions about my early childhood and teenage years.”

What was the TV show that you never missed?

My addiction to the dance show, American Bandstand, began in 1956. Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. our 12-inch television set controlled my life. With the exception of taking a break during the commercials to prepare dinner for Mama and me.

The regular dancers on the show were “real to me” and “lived” in my “fantasy community”. Some were enemies; many were friends and, a few I even considered as my best friends. My favorite dance on the show was the “The Stroll.”

I talked on the telephone for hours with my girlfriends about the popular girl dancers — their dancing styles, boyfriends, friendships, fashions, and hairstyles. All of this information we gathered, shared, and debated everyday. Our reviews based solely on what we observed during this 90-minute show.

But, after three years of following this show, not one of us asked the question, “Why no Black dancers ever appeared on the show?”

Confess what did you wear as a teenager that you would never wear now.

I loved clothes as a teenager. Frankly, I love clothes today. But, I digress.

One of my favorite outfits, as a teenager, was the wide tailed, felt skirt with the Poodle on a Leash and a coordinating blouse.

Mama felt a young woman was never fully dressed unless she had on a “princess slip.”

A new or stiffly starched petticoat under the skirt was mandatory if you wanted that perfect look.

Nicely polished black/white shoes and complementary bobby socks completed the look.

As I look back on my childhood and teenage years, for the most part, they were happy times. I am Grateful to God for these beautiful memories.

Remembering “ME” – Part 2

“This is the second in a series of three articles, responding to

questions about my childhood and teenage years.”

What was the toy you remember most from your childhood?

I only got toys at Christmas and before January ended, they were either broken or forgotten.

As a child, I spent most of my time playing different games

Jacks

Hopscotch

Double Dutch

Paper Dolls

Old Maid Cards

These activities were easily replaced when lost or broken.

I also read a lot and visiting the neighborhood library every other week brought many new adventures into my life. I read every book, some more than once, in the Nancy Drew Mystery Series.

Mama struggled for many hours trying to teach me embroidery. Though, I loved the beautiful pieces she created, I lacked the patience to complete a project. Maybe, I’ll try this again.

What movie do you remember seeing as a teenager?

Though I saw this movie in 1959, thinking about it still brings tears – “Imitation of Life.” I remember going to the movie with a friend; and, we both cried throughout the movie.

The film tells the story of a white actress and a homeless black widow who move in together. The Black mother and her young light-skinned daughter need a place to live; and, the white actress was looking for a live-in childcare for her daughter.

Problems arise years later when the light-skinned daughter decides to past for white and totally rejects her mother. Despite the mother’s pleas, the daughter refuses to reconcile. And, after a number of failed attempts to reunite with her daughter, the mother dies from a broken heart.

The funeral takes place — in a large and beautiful church, a Gospel Choir, a solo by Mahalia Jackson, a long procession with a white horse-drawn hearse just as the mother had requested. Shortly, before the procession begins the daughter throws herself upon the casket and asked for forgiveness.