Friday Roundup

I have found in life that if you want
a miracle you first need to do
whatever it is you can do-- if that's
to plant, then plant; if it is to read,
then read; if it is to change, then
change; if it is to study, then study;
if it is to work, then work; whatever
you have to do. And then you will
be well on your way of doing the
labor that works miracles.


Jim Rohn

Saw this on my way to Pathmark the other day.  Look how this tree is leaning.  Hasn't been much rain this spring, so this has to stem from all the snows of this past winter.  So much has already been cut away.  Such a shame to see things like this.

Morning all.  Happy Friday.  It's a gorgeous day out there, and I am thinking of taking a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.  I hear the cherry blossoms are still in full array.  Had my weigh in yesterday and lost another .4 pounds.  That is 34.8 pounds so far.  Slow and steady.  I'll take it.

Started a new online college course this week.  I'd gotten my original degree totally online via college courses and exams.  So, as I am back in school taking a course, I figured let me gather some credits.  No plans on a second degree, but just in case, so I've been looking for fun courses.   The course I am taking is "Magic in the Middle Ages."  I am totally loving it already.  Lessons include Origins of Witchcraft, The Magical World of Celtic Culture, The Magic of Objects, Church versus Magic: The Early Middle Ages, Irish Women in Medieval Literature: Outsiders or Magicians?, to name a few. 

Been a very interesting week.  When I was a little girl I had another little friend.  Some memories are blurred but I think I started hanging out with her when we started school.  Kathleen had been my best friend to date, but her parents put her in private school while I went to public.  I am pretty sure I started hanging out with Mary Ann in the third grade. 

Mary Ann lived a few blocks from me, and my fondest memory is of her father's garden.  Her mom had passed, and she was raised by her dad.  He had planted tomatoes in the back yard, and she and I used to pick them, put gobs of mayo on bread, and slice these fresh tomatoes for lunches.  Can still remember how good they tasted.  Every once in awhile I still have a tomato sandwich for lunch. 

Well, when high school rolled around we were split up.  She went to one class, I to another.  She became one of the popular kids, and I was the shy one that no one wanted to hang around with.  For awhile she tried to include me, but as things go, we drifted apart.  And then, I was transferred to another school, and that was the end of it.  She did call me once before I moved to New York and spoke about how she envied me being free and how sad she was that she had gotten married so young.

Throughout the years I had searched for her and Kathleen, but had no hopes in finding either.  Then, my cousin Gary checked out my profile on Classmates which led me to search him out on FB.   I found him.  Figured it was time to let the past go, and sent him an Email on Classmates, but he hasn't read it yet.  He did made my childhood so miserable, but hey, we are both in our late 60's now and not children anymore.  I am ready to let go, find some closure. I think it is time one of us reaches out.  If he responds okay, if not, so be it. At least I tried.

So, on his page I see that my old high school is having a class reunion.  They have a FB site so I went to check it out.  I found a list of classmates on the site, and there she was, both her single and married name.  Found her on FB. I sent her a message, but I saw she hasn't been on FB since February.  I did find her address on Google, and I plan to send her a letter this weekend.

But that's not all my news.  Miracles do happen when we least expect them.   And this is a big one deserving of a page all it's own so I will have to keep you on edge for the weekend.  Suffice it to say, it has to do with my mother, but is not about her.

Have a wonderful weekend.  See you on Monday.