Shutterfly Photo Books

My Shutterfly Mt Auburn Cemetery Photo Book ~  printed 2020 created as a project during lockdown isolation.

https://www.shutterfly.com/share-product/?shareid=3acbe2c1-1bba-4858-be15-b69bb52dd53b&cid=SHARPRDWEBMPRLNK

Instagram photo book 2018

https://www.shutterfly.com/share-product/?shareid=763fd7fe-3d50-4db6-9a8f-1c02546e0438&cid=SHARPRDWEBMPRLNK

My Mt Auburn first 8x11 photo book

https://www.shutterfly.com/share-product/?shareid=5f00df4e-2f89-4f38-a8f3-ad62230f8d16&cid=SHARPRDWEBMPRLNK

2020 ~ 20 Years MS

When I got diagnosed in 2000 doc said over the phone at work oh you have ms multiple sclerosis give ya some meds to take, my heart sank life was about to change. Sometimes God has a funny way of slowing us down. For a long time knew something was wrong with my body numbness pain tired until MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord see lesions, fraying of the nerves as I came to understand it.

Now 20 years in I know that it affects everyone differently and can change. One day to the next my symptoms come and go relapsing remitting or pain numbness stays it never goes away my hands legs feet.  I’ve learned to live with ms, adapt ask for help rest.  Slowed me down yes, slow but sure with my cane or rollator.  All the while thankful to God for what I can do and have. When you don’t go! go! go! any more you spend more time with God make the time to get quiet and be grateful good or bad times.

We all have something to battle, carry on or live with some kind of thorn in the flesh. As with so many other illness ms is invisible don’t look sick, a sick that doesn’t always show but it’s there and I will endure with Gods help. Amen!

Seeing poems being shared many about slowing down getting quiet enjoying simple every day life no matter what it brings.  Poet David Thompson Watson McCord my photo Mt Auburn Cemetery.

Philippians 4:5–7
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Downeast Ceilidh ~ Celtic Music

According to Wikipedia a cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish or Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a house party or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.

In 1972 Marcia Palmater hosted a radio show from MIT called Downeast Ceilidh with music from the Atlantic provinces of Canada with a heavy emphasis from Cape Breton Nova Scotia where my mom was from, she would tune in faithfully every week. At the time there was no other show like it. In 2002 the show moved to WUMB where she continued to listen to the music and hear about shows and events going on at the Canadian American club in Watertown MA plus any news from home in Canada. Marcia’s show kept mom connected to her roots hearing the names of folks she knew or liked listening to.

My mom passed in 2004 and I have carried on the tradition of listening to Celtic music. I thanked Marcia through email to tell her how much mom enjoyed listening to her show. Although I’m sure my mom told her when she saw her at the club which in her eyes was like meeting a celebrity. One day I noticed that Marcia’s show wasn’t on and that she retired in 2017 then passed February 2019. Maybe there’s bagpipes and fiddles in heaven!

Thankfully Gail Gilmore has been playing Celtic music on WUMB radio called Celtic Twilight on Sundays 4-7pm at 91.9 FM Boston. Just say "Alexa play wumb" and she finds it on my tablet or listen live online at wumb.org Now I look forward to tuning in. Gail plays a great mix of Celtic music from all over the world including traditional and new younger bands that keeps this music alive. So I sit with my cuppa tea, tapping my feet knowing in my heart mom is happy that I’m still listening to ma’s music. Slàinte

Camp Mohawk

I follow Camp Mohawk on facebook its an all girls camp that I worked at two summers 1978 and or 79 foggy on the dates.  It was the first time away from home left on a bus from South Station trying to hold back tears as my mom and brother faded away from view. "First time away from home" the man beside me said it must have been obvious. Maybe the tears did flow. The first year was in the camp office. My duties were to help the directors paper work, answer the phone and announce over the PA system "time for Ahts and Crafts" my Boston accent for all to hear in the hills of Connecticut. Second year I was in the office and also got to help out in the Ahts and crafts cabin!

Camp Mohawk posts photos of current activities and occasionally old photos from back in the day as it has been around since 1920. One day they posted a photo demolishing the office. My heart sank. The office is the first building you see pulling into camp its headquarters, the heart of the place.

The director noted it was time to upgrade and make it bigger for today's use along with the stables for the horses.

 

Happy to see the new office was rebuilt and looks better with more room. Such a beautiful place with fond memories and memories to be made for so many girls to come. Change is good. Keep up the Mohawk Spirit xo

http://campmohawk.org

Repurpose

How hard is it to recycle? really? separate trash from plastic paper cardboard tin cans. 4-5 big blue recycle bins behind trash dumpster gets picked up each week how convenient for residents. Thing is all cardboard boxes need to be broken down meaning cut them up into smaller pieces to fit inside blue recycle bins. I get out the scissors break down the amazon box. do I want to do this not really kinda pain but I do it why because that's what the recycle company wants from us in condo land for pick up break them down put inside blue box. INSIDE not outside or on top not broken down ugh!

Every week there are boxes not broken down sitting on top of the blue recycle bin so now with my paper bag full of recycles I have to move your new canon copy machine box or jumbo size diaper box or whatever you got from amazon that was so damn big you just couldn't break it down. no time for that gotta hook up this here new printer let someone else deal just leave it there the guy will take it. Guess what butt head he doesn't take it.  All those boxes get left behind and now guess where they go yup big canon copy machine box that could've been recycled is now in the trash dumpster. sigh

One day at the recycle bin young woman drops in plastic bag full of recycles. I said oh no plastic bags in recycle bins. Her reply really I didn't hear anything about this why don't they tell us. God give me strength. I said the stores will take back the plastic bags (they always have for a long time now) as of July 1st business in Watertown will no longer give them out. Also online Watertown DPW website has recycle quick list of information. Google it. Welcome to the village. Felt like adding oh and invest in a good pair of scissors to cut up your boxes please and thank you.

When going to grade school at Sacred Heart my dad would pop in occasionally with boxes of paper from his job that was going to be thrown away so we could use the paper in the classroom. Its a lovely memory as I was so proud that's my dad!  Way ahead of his time recycle was not something everyone did. Taught me not to waste find another use before throwing it away. The mantra today is Reduce Reuse Repurpose Rethink Recycle or just leave it there for your neighbor to deal with better yet just throw it in the dumpstah. 

To finish on a good note I was given an electric grill for my deck. No grill stand no problem. My mom's retro back in the day iron board collecting dust in the basement has become a repurpose. shabby chic vintage. Re imagine indeed.

Still Alive

Another year passing by. Seems like time moves faster as I grow older. 55 still alive. Some didn't make it this far so I'm thankful God lets me see another day...

Over thanksgiving I watched PBS shows Anne of Green Gables and Pollyanna. Anne's story is from scenic PEI Canada and its a classic. Even though she didn't like her beautiful red hair she did find beauty in all her surroundings like trees, the sparkling river and fragrant lilacs while adults walked right by these same things but didn't take time to notice or appreciate.

Pollyanna if we could all have her "I'm glad" even when bad things happen attitude. To find something to be glad about when things don't go my way or disappointment. Is it because she was a little girl that the world seemed so bright or that her father was a vicar and taught her the glad game so it stuck with her even when he died. When she went to visit grumpy older people with her smile and simple frame of mind it made them stop and think about how life could be different by changing their mindset.

Note to self think like Anne of Green Gables and Pollyanna be glad and thankful.

My photo of butterfly before going into the mall glad I took time to watch and take a pic.

Fiddle

I grew up listening to my mothers favorite Cape Breton Nova Scotia Canada's finest musicians mostly fiddle, piano and bagpipes. Mom loved Scottish music kept alive by the Canadians.

Natalie MacMaster has always been a favorite. I've seen her at Harvard Memorial hall in Cambridge MA. This year March 20th performance with her husband Donnell Leahy and 5 of their 6 children made an appearance at Lyric theatre Stuart FL.

Small intimate theatre with huge video screen of her younger self playing a tune while her eldest daughter played too. Donnell had a video of playing and working the farm when he was younger. They showed amazing scenery of Canada and Scotland hard to tell the difference between such beautiful lands. Also a glimpse of a Cape Breton downeast ceilidh hootin and hollerin included. 

 

Since the Lyric is a small venue a meet and greet was possible! We moved right up to the table so Natalie and Donnell could sign book and CDs.

First recording cassette April 1/89

 

I was a bit star struck got a few photos and told her I've been listening to her since the days of her cassettes! My cousin Jean told her our family was from Southwest Margaree. 

Obviously we were thrilled to see, hear and meet Natalie MacMaster! God bless this talented family. Keep up the traditions.