Hurricane Virgins–No More!
Friday, September 5th, 2008 | Hurricanes | No Comments
I apologize for a late blog today. It has been a busy one preparing for Hurricane Hanna. She is expected to come through the Hwy. 17 corridor and cross the Pamlico River during the night tonight. It seems oncoming catastrophes always create dilemmas. My dilemma this time is where to spend the night tonight. Should I go to City Hall with my hubby who has to be there? Or should I stay at home through the storm with the Kit Kat (our precious kitty)? If I choose to go to City Hall, KK will have to spend her time there in a cage while I sleep on a cot and contemplate the ghosts of post offices past. You see the City Hall was once a federal post office and courthouse—think of all the possible ghosts just waiting to ride out of town on a hurricane! Instead of going postal, they could get out of town forever by going coastal! I can just see those postal ghosts now, toasting in the Caribbean sand with their gray Bermuda shorts. Of course, I won’t be worried about the ones that are leaving when I sleep in the spooky old place, I’ll be worried about the ones that stayed! I believe I’ll take my chances in our 1924 bungalow this time.
Well, it is true—we’re no longer hurricane virgins. Our first experience happened three years ago when Ophelia tried to break our hearts (do you know that song?) as she blew through Washington. We had just renovated our aforementioned bungalow, when the firemen knocked on the door with a mandatory evacuation notice. That was a shocker—especially since my hubby worked at City Hall! I wasn’t too worried until a short time later our neighbor across the street began moving all of her furniture out of the house and loaded onto what looked like a moving van. That’s when we got creative about how high you can get a new couch off of the floor. It was amazing how high you really can stack furniture without everything tumbling down like building blocks stacked too tall. We did such a good job, I took pics of it all—because I knew I’d never remember how we did it the next time. We survived with no major damage—mostly duct tape residue on the window frames. The next year Ernesto came our way, with more water than Ophelia—but no evacuation order, thank goodness. We actually ventured out on the front porch during the blow and videotaped footage that was posted on a local news website. The funniest thing that happened during Ernesto was a pontoon boat floated ashore and was beached on the railroad track at Havens Garden in front of our house. The automated signals interpreted the pontoon boat to be an oncoming train, which started the signal lights and lowered the crossing guard. It stayed that way until about ten local guys lifted the boat off the track a few hours later.
So, we are ready this time. We’ve moved all of the furniture from the front porch and the Tiki Hut in the back yard. (You’re probably thinking that anyone with a Tiki Hut in their back yard is asking for it from a hurricane!) We moved the boat, fueled the cars, charged the batteries, filled up the bathtub, bought bread and milk that we didn’t need, and ate all the leftovers in the fridge for supper. Of course, since we are ready—nothing will really come of it—we hope.
I’ll take some notes tonight and give you a blow by blow tomorrow.
Until then, good night from De Ja Vu and I promise not to be so word clever tomorrow.
Tribute to Mimi
Thursday, September 4th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Wishing the best today for our good friend Mimi who has an open house this evening for her new café on
Water Street in town. Mimi was our first friend here, and she will always be close to our hearts. We stayed at her B&B on many trips as we looked for a house to buy in this friendly beautiful place. Mimi is the kind of gracious host that placed champagne in our room when we celebrated a birthday, left a local cookbook when we closed on our house, and gave us shelter when we were hurricane virgins—our first hurricane here when we were evacuated from our new home. She is simply…the best at everything she does. We love her and wish her the best with her wonderful café that serves fresh, homemade faire. In addition, today is her birthday, and we wish her a long and healthy life.
Speaking of hurricanes, we have Hanna coming our way this weekend, and Ike to follow soon. More on this tomorrow as we prepare for the storm.
I’m off to help with the open house.
Until then,
De Ja Vu
To Do List
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 | Adult Children, Cancer Survivor, Life List, Retirement, Students, Teachers | 1 Comment
Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. I really like the one from Garlene to try a different topic each day of the week. That way if you REALLY don’t want to hear about the C word—like any of you REALLY do—you can just tune me out that day of the week. Sounds like a schedule to me—which you are supposed to enjoy NOT having when you are retired—but what the heck—I’ve had a schedule probably since I was bottle fed, so why stop now? Plus, in all honesty, I miss my routine. Those of you that know me well are definitely LOL (laughing out loud) by now—because you know how truly anal I am. And before you ask—YES, I do have a darn Retirement To Do list, but it’s not typed up yet.!
Mom Mode
Today’s short topic is worry—you need to write about what you know, so…I’ve been worrying a lot about worry lately. I realize that when I worry about a grown child, it can be perceived by them as a lack of confidence that I, as a parent, have in them. I’m working on worrying less—although I learned it well from mom. Even more reason not to worry so much myself—so my son will not learn it from me.
Last Lessons
Be tenacious—it’s a lot better than being stubborn, although there can be a fine line between the two. Don’t give up on a problem that you can’t solve. Keep at it. Step outside of the problem and look at it from another perspective. Who knows a little déjà vu may come into play? Have you heard about the theory about DNA and déjà vu? More on that tomorrow.
Life List #2
Do something bold even if it’s embarrassing. While letting the oldies station blare loudly today, I really enjoyed singing, “I Feel the Earth Move” by Carole King. So, maybe I could do Carole King Karaoke sometime? Who would listen?? Who even remembers Carole King??? know my hubby would! Both remember and listen. He’s the best!
Old School Wisdom
I promised the Good Morning thermometer-here it is:
Staff Responses:
Bewilderment: Don’t you drive your husband crazy in the morning?
Amazement: Do you HAVE to act so HAPPY?
Curiosity: Your doctor prescribed what?
Misery (and math) love company: No eye contact, terse lips, no response.
Jealousy: You’re retiring when?
Highest student responses back (remember that nods count)—29 on a Friday before a long weekend
Lowest student responses back: 7 on Tuesday morning after a long weekend
No Rules
I’m not wearing a watch today! Although around 9:30 am, I somehow instinctively knew that it was the end of first period.
No schedule to follow…should I put up the clean dishes in the dishwasher or blog? Blog or put up the dishes? Blog it is.
C Club
Being in this club is like riding a roller coaster through life—lots of ups and downs, turns and twists, over-reactions, and sometimes you scream and cry. I think about making it stop and getting off. I’d much rather be on a slow train to Texas or better yet, travel back in time to the BC Club.
Well, today is probably my last attempt at covering all these mini-topics. It’s like Anita commented—I’d lose all my newfound freedom just trying to think of something to say each day on each one. I think I’ll try something random tomorrow.
Until then,
De Ja Vu
First Day of the Rest of Your Life–and Mine
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 | Adult Children, Cancer Survivor, Life List, Retirement, Students, Teachers, Uncategorized | 6 Comments
Here I am, Day One of my retirement, first time blogger, and this nostalgic title from the seventies (or is it the eighties?) keeps popping into my head. Everything I research says a blog should have a focus—I’m struggling with that one.
Should I reach out to other cancer survivors like me? I know that I want to that—in a meaningful, funny, inspiring kind of way—words you don’t usually think of when you hear the C word. Could be a hard task, eh? How about all those teachers, like me, out there, who have retired and are going through an identity crisis?—I mean after all, I have been going to school since I was six years old. Then again—No Rules seems like a good topic. Yippee—out of school– no more rules! Hey, school and rules are common experiences for most of us. Even teachers who aren’t retired might be interested in some Old School wisdom. Maybe my focus should be on my Life List (a more positive title than the Bucket List)—but, does anybody else really care what I want to do with the rest of my life—who knows? I would sure like to know about the Life List of others—just to make sure I’m not leaving something out! Last Lessons could be a focus—a bit like the Last Lecture—after all, I’m teacher, too—oops—there’s that identity crisis—I was a teacher. I could focus on being the mom of an adult child and all the lessons I continue to learn from that role—-mostly that you always continue to worry about them, no matter how well they are doing.
So here, goes…some pearls of wisdom (make that plastic beads of insight) about the above.
C Club (count yourself lucky if you don’t know what that means)
On the first day of my retirement, today, I’m off to the doctor for a needle breast biopsy—not exactly my idea of my first day of fun! Not unless you consider table vises and needles as comfort companions. I had no idea it would be so darn complicated. Now I get to wait until Friday before I call to make an APPOINTMENT to find out my results. Seems like the new medical protocol is that you don’t give biopsy results over the phone. So much for the saying that No News is Good News!
No Rules
Since I had to go to the doctor at a specified time for a needle biopsy today—I don’t get to fully experience No Rules until tomorrow. I’m looking forward to No Alarm Clock in the morning –and gee I can wear whatever I want—NO Dress Code! Can’t wait to think daily of the rules I no longer must abide by.
Old School Wisdom
Try this experiment—teachers—I did it for years. Say Good Morning tomorrow to everyone you meet walking into your building and to your classroom. It’s a great thermometer for the day—what were fellow colleagues responses? I also counted the high school student responses—even a nod counts. More tomorrow on the Good Morning thermometer scale.
Life List #1
A friend once walked onto my porch and said to me—“If I had the view of the river that you have from this porch, I’d drink coffee and eat breakfast here everyday”. So number one my Life List—stop to smell the roses, especially if the roses grown in your own yard—enjoy what you have and take advantage of it—everyday. Today I sat in the swing, looked at the wide Pamlico, while I talked with my mom who lives five hours away. And I plan to sip a little wine from there this evening.
Last Lessons
Never give up on someone that you care about—even if they are not living up to their potential. Reach out and help them to reach their potential. It is easier for you to see their potential than it is for them to see it for themselves. It is your responsibility to help them hold up the mirror and look at themselves in a more positive light.
Mom Mode
Learn to laugh when they have you pegged. My son, on a visit this weekend, commented that I dress the way I decorate. It sounds ludicrous, but it’s true. My latest greatest favorite color in my house is teal. Even my front door is painted teal. Yes, I was wearing teal when he mentioned this. So, now I’m dressing to match my front door!&*~!
Until tomorrow,
De Ja Vu