Another week has come and gone and so much has happened. First, we all need to stop and understand that if you follow this "Mock" Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe on the Food Network website you can pretty much change any ill feelings you ever had about cauliflower. There is nothing more I can say, just try it and then come back and tell me how right I was.
So the healthy food program had been going very well, until I fell into a pitcher of Bloody Mary's at Sunday brunch. That's okay, I will just pick up where I left off... tomorrow. I am not sure why, but when I veer off a path, it definitely takes me 48 hours to get back on and that includes my new exercise regimen. (MS Word is my friend, I was going to type regiment and it underlined it in blue, not like it was a bad thing, it did not make me feel ashamed of using the wrong word, just a mild underline that encouraged me to check further into the use of the word regiment.)
We had a bit of a scare on Friday night. Our old black lab, Magic, had an episode which caused him to lose the use of his back legs for over an hour. It happened again on Sunday and we thought today might be the day we say goodbye. He is 14 years old, bow legged in the front with hip dysplasia in the back. We carry him up and down the stairs now because he insists on sleeping in our room. We took him to the vet today just to make sure he wasn't suffering and the vet said he seems to be comfortable so we took him home and made him some turkey wild rice soup.
Magic is a highly evolved dog. From the very beginning he understood his role in our family was to love and protect. If you ever read the book The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein, Magic is just like the dog who narrates the book. According to Garth's take on Buddhist reincarnation a dog comes back as a human after he has successfully lived the best dog life possible. I like to think that Magic will come back as a human too.
That is the down side of having a pet, chances are good you will outlive them. As I was sitting at the vet today I started thinking about death. As stated in an earlier blog: yahoo member shared - "turning 50 means you're just old and closer to dying". I had a very odd realization... Eventually, almost everyone I know will die OR, eventually, I will die before everyone I know. Does that make sense?
Death is definitely something I need to think about on this journey. There is an art to it. My mother's mother, Nonny, died in 1991. I was with her days before she passed and I could see that she was getting close, but she just laid quietly in bed with a bit of a smile on her face. I told her I couldn't come and kiss her because I had a terrible cold. I think she knew I couldn't kiss her because I was crying so hard, but didn't want her to see it. Silly of me to think I could tell her I didn't want her to catch my cold as she lay on her deathbed. But, she had mastered the art, she knew what I needed to believe and she let me.
I have had a few other people close to me that have died, my father, my neighbor, my friend Margo. I have stealthily skipped all deathbed scenes. I don't think I can keep pulling that off (if I want to master the art) whether I am sitting by it or laying in it.
Well, that was fun.. I am going to get some ice cream before I get back on track tomorrow.
So the healthy food program had been going very well, until I fell into a pitcher of Bloody Mary's at Sunday brunch. That's okay, I will just pick up where I left off... tomorrow. I am not sure why, but when I veer off a path, it definitely takes me 48 hours to get back on and that includes my new exercise regimen. (MS Word is my friend, I was going to type regiment and it underlined it in blue, not like it was a bad thing, it did not make me feel ashamed of using the wrong word, just a mild underline that encouraged me to check further into the use of the word regiment.)
We had a bit of a scare on Friday night. Our old black lab, Magic, had an episode which caused him to lose the use of his back legs for over an hour. It happened again on Sunday and we thought today might be the day we say goodbye. He is 14 years old, bow legged in the front with hip dysplasia in the back. We carry him up and down the stairs now because he insists on sleeping in our room. We took him to the vet today just to make sure he wasn't suffering and the vet said he seems to be comfortable so we took him home and made him some turkey wild rice soup.
Magic is a highly evolved dog. From the very beginning he understood his role in our family was to love and protect. If you ever read the book The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein, Magic is just like the dog who narrates the book. According to Garth's take on Buddhist reincarnation a dog comes back as a human after he has successfully lived the best dog life possible. I like to think that Magic will come back as a human too.
That is the down side of having a pet, chances are good you will outlive them. As I was sitting at the vet today I started thinking about death. As stated in an earlier blog: yahoo member shared - "turning 50 means you're just old and closer to dying". I had a very odd realization... Eventually, almost everyone I know will die OR, eventually, I will die before everyone I know. Does that make sense?
Death is definitely something I need to think about on this journey. There is an art to it. My mother's mother, Nonny, died in 1991. I was with her days before she passed and I could see that she was getting close, but she just laid quietly in bed with a bit of a smile on her face. I told her I couldn't come and kiss her because I had a terrible cold. I think she knew I couldn't kiss her because I was crying so hard, but didn't want her to see it. Silly of me to think I could tell her I didn't want her to catch my cold as she lay on her deathbed. But, she had mastered the art, she knew what I needed to believe and she let me.
I have had a few other people close to me that have died, my father, my neighbor, my friend Margo. I have stealthily skipped all deathbed scenes. I don't think I can keep pulling that off (if I want to master the art) whether I am sitting by it or laying in it.
Well, that was fun.. I am going to get some ice cream before I get back on track tomorrow.
My fear of death was relieved by the experience of sitting with my mother-in-law as she died. It was a very powerful experience. I'm sure it'll be different when I face my own demise, but in the meantime, that death fear that would take over when I was younger has subsided.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually a gift that the dying share with us. Next time, don't be shy :)
Some medieval monks used to sleep in their caskets as a way to get used to the whole idea. Personally, what works better for me is to go to Estate Sales and contemplate where the Christmas ornaments end up. (On a card table in the basement). THEY are the ghosts of Christmas past. The greatest gift, as I now see it, is to live long enough to feel that I've had more than my share and to go before I can no longer take pleasure in my moments. Dad used to say, "Anything over 60 is a gimme." I'd probably prefer anything over 80, but the attitude seems right.
ReplyDeleteAnother good post. I was with Nonny moments before she died. At one point she thought I was my mother and introduced me to a nurse as Elsie. Then she was back and thanked me for the flowers I brought from my garden with the same thing she always said, "Ohhhhh, aren't they pretty?" with her voice going up at the end like she did. Then some personal things I'm happy I was there for. I had a feeling of great peace when I drove home that night.
ReplyDeleteSee, it is good to be brave and stay till the end. Thanks for sharing such a sweet memory.
ReplyDelete