Tag: birthday

Missing Dad

This day is hard. My dad and I had a close, wonderful relationship.

ME AND DAD 1 YEAR BEFORE HE PASSED

I tell people, when I get to heaven all I want is to climb up in God’s lap and rest my head on His shoulder, the same way I used to do with my dad.

ME AND DAD

Today would have been dad’s 96th birthday. He passed away in 2002 after suffering the first of several strokes that took out his right side, on mother’s day of 1998, at my house. After surgery to remove the blockage he could no longer walk or speak.

It makes me sad that the youngest members of our family do not know him, or in the case of those who were born after the stroke and before he passed away, they have no memories of him.

DAD AND TEDY BRUSCHI

Dad used to volunteer with the University of Arizona football team during the time of Coach Smith and Coach Tomey. Dad had a great time being part of the team and was interviewed a couple of times by the local TV stations. I have a VHS tape with those interviews so I can hear his voice. I cry every time, but I treasure those few minutes of memories. I got choked up writing those last two sentences.

Dad was a handsome, gregarious man. He was full of laughter and loved riding motorcycles, the Dallas Cowboys, and adored my mother. He survived a difficult childhood that could have made him bitter but he had us, we were his, and he made sure

MOTORCYCLE JACK
DAD

we knew how important we were to him.

So here’s a toast to my dad, Jack Turner.

Cheers!

-N

Remembrance

A couple of weeks ago the oldest daughter of long time friends passed away from an aggressive form of adrenal cancer. The speed this disease took her down stunned all of us who knew her. From the day she told us of this diagnosis to the day she passed was months. This sweet woman is gone from here. Her two daughters will never know her touch except in memories and dreams. Her partner will face days of loss and pain as she goes day by day in the normal living of everyday life without the love of her life. How do we remember Shelley?

My young friend touched the lives of many people who needed housing they could afford. Shelley was the person who made the magic happen for these humans in San Antonio. Her fruitful and memorable life was honored by a video of memories from all the lives she touched, and was shown at a celebration of her life. Her loved ones shared photos and videos, stories were shared along with tears, laughter, and love.

I can only hope others will have memory treasures of me to comfort them.

This Saturday my little great nephew will be celebrating one full year of life. This is a big deal for every human. I’m sure all of us have been to those “birthday” parties for a one year old. They are usually parties for the adults since a one year old has no clue what is up. The birthday kid gets a ton of gifts they can’t even open, and have no idea who they are from. The pictures will tell the story to this kid when they are in high school and the parents want to embarrass them. Is this the best way to honor this milestone in age?

Rather than the typical adult get together disguised as a birthday party, there will be a chance for all of the family and friends to bring letters and other things to put in a time capsule, to be given to him on his 18th birthday. An ideal way to celebrate his first year of life by looking forward.

It’s been a thoughtful time for me as I composed my letter for Bodie. Hubby and I decided to write our own letters to him. Writing a letter to an eighteen year old in the future is an interesting project. What do we want him to know? What advice do we give? Who will he be at that age? My letter was two full pages, and Chuck’s was half a page. Both letters were written from the heart and in our own voices. I am curious what he will think when he reads them. Will we be around?

Remembering is hard when it is because of the loss of a loved one. It is hard when it is from a place of pain in the past. Remembering a future that hasn’t happened yet is one of hope and curiosity.

Memories are the video of the mind.

Cheers!

-N

 

Birthday hug for me

My actual birthday is this Monday, but since hubby has to work 1pm-11pm that day he gave me my birthday gift last night. He nailed it! That man knows me well.

Started my birthday celebration at Gentle Ben’s. A college landmark just off the University of Arizona campus, although businesses on University Blvd are considered part of the campus 0923161851thanks to swarms of students filling the area, it was fun to be surrounded by the energy of youth on a Friday night.

 

We had a wonderful server who enjoyed our celebration as much as we did. She laughed with us and took good care of us. Wine for me, beer for him and a yummy appetizer.

We listened to the pep rally for the UA Wildcats football game occurring across the street, and people watched the herds of humans moving up and down, in and out.

Superb!

The next part of the evening was my actual gift. Tickets to the Broadway touring company presentation of Cabaret! It was fantastic. We had good seats in Centennial Hall, were feeling relaxed thanks to the drinks, and sat back to let the story and song flow over us. 0923161937

If you don’t know the story, and the play is the best way to experience it, there are some hilarious scenes, some heartwarming and romantic scenes, and scenes that will shock and disturb you, with the story set in pre-WWII Berlin.

The performers did a great job, the choreography was spot on, the musicians immersed themselves in the cast, and the set was dramatic and brilliant.

I liked it! Thanks Chuck XOXOXO.

On our way back to our car we walked past my absolute favorite building on the UA campus. Herring Hall. Built in 1903 it has a strong presence of old academia, and if you can have a crush on a building, well, I have had a crush on this one for 30 years!0923162241

I love touching and caressing the old red brick-waiting for them to tell me stories, looking in the darkened windows for reputed ghosts, and hugging the massive columns. 0923162243

It was the first time I had my photo taken with it and I know it was happy to be remembered.

I wanted to linger and walk around it, running my hands across, capturing the feeling of a small, old, but majestic academic structure that is being crowded out by the new and architecturally splendid edifices spilling out all over campus. 0923162242a

 

New is good and fine, more attractive to youth, and technologically adapted to the future, but the beauty of this one shouldn’t ever be overshadowed or dismissed.

It has served the University of Arizona well and continues to offer it’s space to the needs of generations to come.

I said good night to my building, finishing off my wonderful birthday celebration.

Do you have a special place, space or building that touches your heart and mind? I would love to hear about it.

Cheers!

-N