Monday, October 26, 2009

In the midst of

Apparently I'm going to have to keep a tablet & pencil at my bedside if I plan to have anything to write about. Last night while falling sleep, I had several paragraphs going on in my head about several things. Unfortunate for me, my short term memory being what it is, I no longer even remember the topics, let alone the details. In addition to the memory issues, I'm feeling a bit strange. Not sick, exactly, but a little shaky. The feeling reminds me of times in my wayward youth when I partied a little too heartily and spent the next day with the shakes and a foul stomach. No stomach problems today, just this shadow of lethargy and shaking hands. In spite of that, life is moving along . Spoke with Grace this morning to see how Nicky was feeling. He had been sick and fevered on Friday. He's much better today and the opinion of the doctor is that he had a mild case of swine flu. I am grateful that he's better and doubly thankful that it was a mild case. For those who don't know, Grace is the woman whose children I will be watching when she returns to work from maternity leave. Nicky is a 2 1/2 years old charmer, who know has a sister, Annamaria. I have been caring for Nicky since he was 6 months old. Nicky...I had no idea when I started watching him that I would fall full on in love with him! Who knew it was possible to love some other person's child so much? I've cared for other children throughout my adult life and I have loved many of them. But there is something very special about Nicky. He brings a smile to my face, regardless of my circumstances. He's brilliant. He loves music and singing. He has the annoying habit of screaming, actually screeching, which we pray he outgrows soon. (I don't want you to think he's perfect.) There are no words to describe how much he means to me. There are no words to explain the joy he brings into my life. When he wraps his arms around my neck and gives me a hug, or tells me he loves me, there is only gratitude that he and I get to share a portion of our lives.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What IS "flotsam"?

According to dictionary.com the definition of flotsam is:
1. the part of the wreckage of a ship and its cargo found floating on the water. Compare jetsam, lagan.
2. material or refuse floating on water.
3. useless or unimportant items; odds and ends.
4. a vagrant, penniless population: the flotsam of the city slums in medieval Europe.
Also called flotsam and jetsam (for defs. 3, 4).
For my purposes, however, it refers to whatever thoughts meander along my stream of conscientiousness. Theses may indeed be wreckage, refuse, useless or unimportant, or odds and ends. Most times they could not be considered vagrant nor penniless, although I am occasionally cash poor. My interests at any given moment may include: interpersonal relationships; archeology; my need for sunshine, but not neccesarily heat; faith or lack of faith; music; a personal relationship with a loving God; travel; personal responsibility; photography; critters in general, and my dog specifically; the meaning of dreams; world citizenship; children, especially the munchkins I care for; books I've read, as well as authors I've enjoyed; day to day junk, and probably a whole lot more. So, on any given day, or for that matter, on any given moment, I may choose to expound on one of these or countless other topics from a position of personal opinion I am not highly educated, but I do have opinions. Unlike my former sister-in-law, who (proudly, no less) proclaimed, "I know nothing and I have no opinion". At age 50, I thought it was time she got some! I have opinions, but do not think of myself as opinionated. Perhaps I'm wrong. There is a tendency in my birth family to be somewhat stubborn, but I like to think we out grow that as we mature. Still there are times when I am convinced I am right and those times can be difficult for the people around me. I will make every effort to be kind, but may fail from time to time. I hope you will come along as we ride the river of my mind and encounter whatever flotsam and jetsam stray into our current.