Losses and Gains - Grief and Elation

 

This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions, stress, and elation. 

  

  

Losing Snoopy-our forever friend, family member, and the best cat ever on August 11th, created an absence in our home that will be felt for a long time.  From the moment we met him, and Jim could hold him in his hand at the mere age of eight weeks, to the last minutes we spent with him fourteen and a half years later, he was a delight.  His presence in our lives will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace.  It’s the silence that digs so deeply.  The missing routines that filled the day from beginning to end now cut at our hearts.  It’s the imagined voice when you think he’s calling to you, or the empty chair or bed where he slept, that stop you from whatever you’re doing or thinking for a moment.  Grief is an ugly companion as you make your way through it, knowing that it is like going through a long, dark tunnel in search of any glimpse of light beyond its grasp that you can cling to.  To love deeply is to grieve greatly.  It is only now that I can even begin to form these words a week later without tears.  

Amid the stress of Snoopy’s liver cancer diagnosis and death, was a week of growing anxiety over my impending cataract surgery.  Everyone says it is an easy procedure to get through.  The prospect of someone cutting into my eye only made my imagination run wild.  Intellectually, I could fathom it, but underneath a growing sense of anxiety fought to overcome any rational attempt to hold it at bay.  Yesterday, I went through the operation on my right eye.  Indeed, everything I’d been told was true.  I was nervous about a procedure that turned out to be practically painless and totally endurable.  Perhaps it was the excellent surgeon that made it so.  Certainly it was the very competent staff who guided me through the whole experience with such care.  Most of all, it is the wonderful husband and partner I have in Jim, who has been at my side through it all. 

I am elated to report that already today, my vision is remarkable.  For the first time since the age of about 14 years old, I maneuvered through my day without glasses.  Yes, there’s still recovery time and improving vision to anticipate, but even today I could read and see items across a room without any glasses.  The world is lighter and brighter and oh-so-white with my new lens.  It’s absolutely remarkable.  Now I am looking forward to getting the second eye done as soon as they proclaim I can be scheduled.      

No one ever said life would be easy.  And it isn’t.  But today I am thankful.  I have loved, I have survived, and most of all, I am so very blessed by all that I have been given to experience.  

 August 11, 2026

"Nothing you love is ever lost. Not really. People, pets, things-they always go away, sooner or later. You can't hold them, any more than you can hold moonlight. But if they've touched you, if they're inside you, then they're always still yours. The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart."

Rest in peace, Snoopy… 9/6/12 - 8/11/26

you will always be in our hearts.

 

New Hobbies to Pursue

 

With space at a premium in a condominium, Jim and I have found new spaces to tackle our hobbies, and new hobbies to pursue.  Jim has a view of the water beyond our condo from his table, and I have a view of the kitchen from the granite breakfast bar with superb lighting so it works well for art work.  

For us, going to the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda has been inspiring.  I have learned a new art technique called "Alcohol Ink Painting", and Jim is tackling wood carving after acquiring a small wood carving in their gift shop.  Both new endeavors have proven to be interesting challenges.

With only a few new acquisitions required for each of those tasks, hours of entertainment have evolved.  When the weather's hot, air conditioned inside activities are definitely desirable.   Jim's hobby requires lots of patience and very small cuts of the wood to achieve a figure's shape, followed by some sanding.  The little figures are prepped for paint with a coating of linseed oil, then waxed.  Lastly, as I understand it, will come the acrylic paint.  Jim's watched a multitude of You Tube videos describing the process.  I am excited to see how the finished product comes out.

Typically, I like to play with watercolor.  But with special paper, or even a plain white tile, the alcohol ink can be used to create interesting patterns of an impressionistic nature, or with some stamps or freehand drawings more of a watercolor illusion.  This requires special "alcohol inks", more alcohol and a blending solution to work the ink into patterns, and later a clear coat covering sprayed over the work to preserve the results.  The multiple steps made it a bit tedious compared to watercolor, but then watercolor takes a lot of time to create the various color effects too.  Here are a few examples of what the process looks like below on a tile, with a stamp design, and with a drawing I made of a heron.

           

I think it will be fun to make some cards from the results eventually when I get more adept working with the alcohol ink.  It dries so quickly, even with the slowing process of the blending solution that one needs to work rapidly to achieve a desired design.  A small, manual air blower device, or even a brush, helps to maneuver the ink quickly over the tile or paper.  Another hobby trick I learned about at the class for this is using puppy training pads for protecting the countertop.  They're absorbent on one side and waterproof (in this case ink proof) for preserving spotless granite (or a table top) underneath.

 

A Project Completed

Today we (primarily Jim) completed a project we have had on our agenda since moving into our condominium.   Upon the arrival of our moving pods, we discovered that our front loading washing machine was too wide from front to back for the laundry space's doors to close properly.  

We removed the folding doors and have operated the washer and dryer since without them.  All and all that's fine, except for the view of all things laundry related and everything else stored on the shelves above the machines constantly reminding us that we had a project to do.  As projects go, some planning was required as to how we were going to create a couple more inches of space to the front in a closet that left little space for maneuvering.  After much contemplation, Jim came up with a solution and today we proved it worked.  

Jim was able to move the track out for the folding doors to the very edge of the door opening.  The hardest part was moving the fasteners on the floor to accommodate the new position of the doors.  A bit of floor molding stood in the way.  It wasn't an easy task, as the tile floor had been installed after the wood molding and tile grout had virtually cemented the molding to the floor.  Undaunted, Jim carefully freed it.  Moving a bit of hardware followed thereafter.

While it took a good portion of the afternoon, plus some cleanup as we progressed, soon the doors were rehung.  They look amazing and operate perfectly.

And the view in the hallway is decidedly better.  Hurray!  It was a great day.

 

Baked Zucchini for Two

 

This time of the year, zucchini is abundant and alternative cooking options to the standard steamed vegetables on our plates seems to be a desirable option.  So here you go... my version of baked zucchini.  Brush a baking dish with olive oil.  Trim the ends of the zucchini and slice lengthwise in half and place in your prepared dish.  I used two small baking dishes-using one for each half.

Slice a tomato into thick slices and place over the zucchini in one layer.  Then cover with a layer of grated Italian blend shredded cheese.  Sprinkle some oregano over the cheese.

  

Place dishes in an air fryer and "air roast" at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  Check after 20 minutes and if the cheese is browning too much, cover the dishes tightly with aluminum foil and continue cooking until zucchini has reached your desired softness when pierced with a fork. 

Alternatively if you wish to avoid watching closely for over browning of the cheese, brush the zucchini with a bit of olive oil and then sprinkle the zucchini with the oregano and place in the air fryer.  Wait until twenty minutes into the cooking process to add the cheese.  Continue cooking for five to 10 minutes longer until cheese melts and browns to the level you desire. 

   

  

Serve in the same baking dish, or transfer baked zucchini to individual dinner plates.  Enjoy!

 

Milestone Achieved - 75 years of Phenomenal

On July 10th, I celebrated my 75th Birthday.  It has been a phenomenal journey if you consider I was born two months premature, and only survived because incubators for babies had been invented.  But in spite of the odds against me, with incredible parents who never gave up on their dream to have children, I thrived and I am here all these years later.  Sometimes, it feels incredible that I have been given this amazing life, and even more so during the past twenty years shared with my dear husband, Jimmy.  God surely saved the best for the latter years of my existence.  Being seventy-five years old isn't so bad.  I can still think, and do most activities I wish to do-well almost all of them!  Anyway, here's how we spent the day...

There is a restaurant near us called "Skillets" that serves breakfast and lunch, and I have wanted to try it for some time.  The atmosphere is bright, fresh, and inviting.  The staff is attentive.  The food turned out to be yummy, and beautifully presented.  Happy kickoff to the day-no cooking, no dishes, and out with my guy!

 

 

 

 

From there we traveled south on I-75 across the Peace River to Punta Gorda to a gallery called the Visual Arts Center.  Not only is there a gallery and gift shop here, there are also a number of class rooms where classes are given for a wide variety of artistic endeavors.  The gift shop displays the products of those classrooms for artists desiring to sell their work, and includes multiple options from jewelry, pottery, wood carvings, stained glass, and every medium of artwork you would expect-watercolor, pastels, acrylic, and oil renderings.  Between the gallery rooms and the gift shop, we spent considerable time taking in the entire venue.  Lovely, inspiring, cool (air conditioning), and a totally relaxing experience evolved out of this trip.  (Jim was motivated to take up wood carving since, and I may try an entirely new medium called alcohol ink painting.  More on both of those in a later blog.)

 

We continued the day with dinner at Olive Garden, arriving during the start of a heavy downpour of rain, laced with loud thunder and flashing lightning.  It was a relief to get inside the restaurant.  Being one of our favorite restaurants, we opted for our usual selections-Eggplant Parmesan for me and Tour of Italy for Jim.  The inclement weather continued throughout our meal in a total downpour with wind pushing the rain horizontally across the parking lot and into the restaurant's windows.  So a shared tiramisu dessert and coffee completed the meal before we braved the walk to the car.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what's a birthday without a birthday cake?  Jimmy had gone out early in the morning before I awoke, and hid a beautiful cake in the refrigerator unbeknown to me.  This surprise finished up a beautiful day spent leisurely and memorably in honor of my 75th birthday.  I couldn't have asked for, nor planned, anything better.  

 

July 4th - 250th U.S.A. Birthday

We enjoyed the holiday right here at home.  The condominium association where we live held an Independence Day gathering at our clubhouse with a mid-afternoon potluck at 2 p.m.  Fried chicken, water melon, sausages, and a variety of side dishes that yet again were too tempting to taste for us to stick with our diets.  

 

It was a fine opportunity to get to know some more of our neighbors, as the usual afternoon thunderstorm poured down outside while we conversed with those at our table.  By the time our dinner was over, the sun had returned and everyone headed home to nap, watch the celebrations around the country on television, or in our case following a nap-a short excursion over to Dairy Queen for ice cream.  (See what I mean about the impossibility of dieting over a holiday weekend?!)

We stayed up until 1 a.m watching the celebration in Washington, D.C., after rain delayed plans there.  But it was worth it.  Here, fireworks were banned due to dry conditions and brush fire potential.  Lightning causes enough fires here without adding to the potential hazard.  So when forty minutes of spectacular fireworks rewarded our late night vigilance, we were thrilled.  It's been a different kind of holiday this year.  We're feeling very patriotic and proud, and it's nice to recognize how blessed we are right now in our lives.