George Old Chevy and Snowball

Chapter 114 (cont'd)
Busy day! Wow!
Setting up a scene! Making arrangements for 'Ethel' and 'Lucy' to be on set the next day.
Haircuts...
Simmy had some fun with the security guard who was standing on the skyway giving people instructions on the parking ticket machine.
"Hey, you need to put some mistletoe on your hat and see how many kisses you can get before Christmas."
The 'this side of fifty' security guard took a few seconds to think about this, then said, "Hey, I like that idea."

When Sam and Simmy came out of the grocery store, there was good old George. He was looking much healthier now that he had retired.
"Hey, George, may I take a picture of your truck?"
"Yep, but only if you take a picture of Snowball too."

"He's just eight weeks old. He came from Churchill. Come on, Snowball, get up here."
Snowball was cute but 'not really trained, yet.'
Simmy snapped a few good pics of that old Chevy that had almost as many miles on it as George did.

George spotted a child and said, "Come here missy. Want to see my new dog, Snowball?"
Simmy looked over and realized that winter clothing really disguised a bit too much sometimes and George was getting on in years.
'Missy' was actually 'Young Mister' and the Grandma, holding his hand, was trying to bustle her grandson away after she heard old George call her grandson a girl.

Reluctantly the Grandma brought her grandson over and Simmy later realized,...
"Hey, the Grandma was kinda the same age as George... ohhh, ohh!"
"Sometimes I can be so thick when it comes to romance."

Cowboy Couture meets French Briton

Chapter 114
Monday, a day I used to think was just the best. It started with the alarm clock... hitting the snoozed button about 7 times and then, moseying out of bed.
The cat was asking to go outside and play. Umm! No! Dumb cat!
At 8:12 a.m. the phone rang. It was David, calling to say that his father was having a breathing issue.
Ahh! Mondays!
After working through the logistics of the medical emergency, Simmy went to work.
What scene to create today? Someone else had already made a scene today so no need for any theatrics.
A little fiddling her and a little moving of pieces of furniture and the idea came together.
It was a 'kick off your boots' kind of room scene.
Old-fashioned, yet hip!
Cowboy couture meets French Briton.

That definitely describes my outfit today! This Baroque skirt with the velvet trim... mmm, hmm. And I did notice Frederic Chopin staring at me from his little spot on the wall.
"Stop gawking like you're drooling on your little French writer 'George,'" Simmy scolded Frederic.
He just kept staring.

 Suddenly Simmy remembered, "Oh!" Her fingers went to her lips and her eyes widened, "You're a piano dude! Sorry, Bloke! I guess you've been up there fretting on that fret."

Table 13

Chapter 113 

Sam and Simmy pulled up to a traffic light and Sam looked over and said, "He looks familiar! Oh, it's Irish Bill. Simmy rolled down the window and so did Bill. A few words of comradery were exchanged and Simmy said, "I didn't know you had such piercing blue eyes!" Irish Bill grinned and just a touch of brogue was evident as he said, "Aw yah, the ladies love them!" Simmy laughed and thought, 'It's Christmas, it can only be Christmas,' so she responded with, "Even I'm twinkling!" Old Irish Bill laughed, the gap in his front teeth and the mariner style hat combined to make him look like a longshoreman, straight off the docks. The light changed to green and Simmy remembered a small souvenir spoon that Old Bill and his wife had brought back from London over 25 years ago. Sam had brought it home one day and said, "Bill and his wife brought this back for you. They said they really wanted one from Ireland but they had to settle for one from London." "I don't think they meant it just for me, we'll use it for the sugar bowl." Simmy laughed at the memory, now. Old Bills' wife had died many years ago already but Simmy still had this small remembrance of her.

.. Perfect strangers on the sidewalk singing songs...' Okay, so Simmy was the only crazy person singing songs on this sidewalk and, ahem, yes, there was nothing perfect about Simmy and yes,... sigh, most of the people staring at her and Sam were hoping they could remain strangers. Snicker! Giggle! Sing it 'Sawyer Brown!' "You can tell by the way the kids are all grinning, By the size of the crowds in and out of church, When there's this many men out shopping with the women... 

You know it's not just another day off from work. It's Christmas!"

Sam had suggested they check out Simmy's favorite store... "It's Christmas! It can only be Christmas!"

While in the store, Simmy looked at the line-ups and decided her journal could be purchased at Hallmark, where the line-ups wouldn't be this long.

She noticed a man with a scowl on his face and had the temerity to say extra cheerfully, "You don't look very happy!"

The gentleman looked at her, the scowl deepened before he replied, "No, I'm not!" But then, the scowl was chased away by a cocky grin.  "People smile even when it's against their nature!"

"And they even get along in the legislature,..." 

Of course they will, now that Lamoureux will be there.

After doing mostly 'people or shopper watching' Sam and Simmy went to Mongo's Grill. Sam grudgingly agreed to go. His acquiescence sounded something like, "I hardly ever get take- out hamburgers. I will always want a take- out hamburger. I'll try this place though, if you want to go there."

"It's Christmas! It can only be Christmas!"

 "When the news hunts down something nice to say..."

Romance Designer reporting from Mongo's Grill... 

A couple went into the restaurant today and it was a comedy of errors that was later discussed in the coffee room over lemonade and gales of laughter. Information known only to staff, this couple, inadvertently, sat at                                                                      Table 13-

The sweet young waitress, Julianna V. smiled at the Romance Designer Duo as she politely offered them a little pamphlet with menu suggestions for the uninitiated diner. Sam followed one of the recipes, to the letter, and Simmy couldn't help but yelp, "Nooo,..." a couple of times, as Sam put lots of hot peppery sauce on his dish. Sam just kept on assembling his pre-programmed menu. He was fearless and Simmy was afraid, very afraid,... see Sam doesn't even know what ingredients go into stuff. He can cook about 5 different things very well. None of them contain hot peppers. Oy!

Simmy noticed that the staff were all young and enthusiastic and capable of cooking and doing Star Wars imitations, at the same time... thank you Zach, et.al.!

After they were finished eating, and paying for the upgrade on their meals... Ahem! Tip to you! Bamboo is great for furniture, but food... not so much! Simmy definitely would keep it in the 'flooring' category!

While in the bathroom, Simmy had a chat with Brittaney, asking her lots of questions about the restaurant and how long she'd worked there. Brittaney admitted she had worked there for three years already. Simmy suggested that 'as a first- hire,' she must have attracted similarly wonderful people to work there... the saying, 'You attract what you are' proving to be true! It almost seemed like Brittaney was abashed with that compliment!

Simmy asked for a couple of extra mints and Brittaney smiled and said, "Yes!" (It's Christmas!)

They headed across the street to watch 'The Town.' It wasn't the happiest of movies but it did have an ending that could be summed up with, 'Giving is such a part of living,...' "Oh, I wish it could be Christmas all year long."

As they pulled into the driveway, Sam all but pushed Simmy out of the way as he made a mad dash for the bathroom. Ten minutes later he reappeared and said, "I don't think I like mongo...lian food."

Oy!

Extravagant Leanness

Chapter 112
Some of the simplest things give pleasure.
Simmy remembered what a woman from 'On West Street' had told her once. They were decorating tables for a benefit banquet and this woman had said to her, "I like to see how creative I can make my table with the least amount of money."
Now, what had seemed to be somewhat ironic to Simmy was that... this woman didn't need to be frugal, she just enjoyed the challenge of it.
That thought reminded Simmy of something her Mom said.
It was during a little enjoyment of the purchasing of a piece of furniture. She and Sam had saved and saved to be able to afford a table and chairs, made of real wood.
Simmy's Mom had been happy for them but Simmy sensed a lesser enthusiasm than she was experiencing.
"Do you still get excited when you purchase something new?" Simmy had asked.
"No, not anymore."
"It's not fun for you anymore?" Simmy sort of felt sorry for her Mom.
"Oh, it used to be lots of fun but now we can afford it. We can just buy what we want."
Simmy shook her head, a little bemused.
"And that's not fun?" Simmy asked.
"No, not really," her Mom had replied.
So, hats' off to working hard and leaner times... if the economy of the world speaks forth... we should soon see some very contented people.
No?
Photos of my Moms' 'daisy bowl taken on four different surfaces proved to be a artistic extravaganza... an extravagant leanness from a Mother who only allowed a light to be on in the house if someone was in that room.
Simmy recalled what a school friend had once told her, "You guys are never home!"
With a laugh, Simmy had replied, "Oh not true, we're just not allowed to use electricity."

Hidden Things Revealed

Chapter 111
Timing, timing, timing... this was the thought on Simmys' mind this morning.
In the journey of spiritual and personal growth, Simmy felt this was one of the last cogs to reach perfection.
Perfection... such a difficult concept. Kind of like the number 7. Some people called it the perfect number.
Dr. L, that is Dr. David L,  had said a better way to describe it would be 'the number of completion.'

Deuteronomy 29:29 came to mind... 'The secret things belong to the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.'
Doing all the words... that makes sense to me, thought Simmy.
If you don't do the words, then they are only unfulfilled words, but when they are done, then they are? become? alive.
Now if The Word is living, breathing, then they have been done by someone in some time and space. And, if even revelations, both small r and big R have been done, on some metaphysical level, then we are sifted into individual responsibility, of our own personal time and space.
Just thinking...
Simmy picked up the National Geographic and read the cover, again, 'THE SEARCH FOR King David New Discoveries in the Holy Land.
Everyone seems to be getting in on the action these days.

Developing Maturity

Chapter 110
"Hey Sam, I finally found a reason to like tile flooring."
"Oh yah, what's that?"
"You can lay these old fashioned burning hot lights on the tile and 'no problem,' the tiles can take the heat," Simmy replied.
"That's not very eco-friendly," Sam said.
"You haven't been to my work since Saturday. It's very cold in there. You can put new materials down on the floor but if there's no insulation... I was on the ladder the other day and it was like sticking my head into a heat cloud. What they say is true! Heat rises!"
"When are we going to see my Mom again?" Sam asked.
"When you've got your armour on. You want to go visit her like a son who is mourning the 'lost years' of her abusive life. You want to be the son who tries to regain those years as she gives you a cookie. We can't do that anymore. We have to grow up and face the facts. When we were visiting her the other day I saw her pinball from childhood to adulthood to old age to some very scary, possibly real, memories."
"Who was she when she was smacking her fist into the palm of her hand and saying, 'Those young kids better watch it!'?" Sam asked.
"That's exactly what you have to discern," Simmy said. "That looked exactly like your Dad... so, was she mimicking his abusive behavior or was she saying something prophetic?"
"I don't know," Sam had a vacant and helpless look to his eyes.
"Sam! We have to be strong when we go there. We couldn't even get through the first verse of 'Stille Nacht.' When she got kind of violent, I thought singing would help but we couldn't even sing, we were so choked up with emotion. We can't sit there and cry. We'll do that at home."
"She hardly even spoke in English," Sam just couldn't get that bewildered look off his face.
"I was a little shocked at that too. When she spoke, almost totally, in German... I knew then that her dementia is quite advanced."

Explain, Explain, Explain

Chapter 109
Even the solution to a problem doesn't always seem like it's ideal and needs lots of TLC to make it work.
At the 'care home' Sam's mom was having some difficulties. Her hearing was not good and even with her hearing aid, it still wasn't possible for her to hear most of the time.
Quote from 'Positioned to Bless,' "There are some of you who may be in some troublesome places regarding authority. Your father may have abused you, you may have suffered injustice by those in authority over you at work or in your church, and even though you have forgiven the individuals, you still have a tainted perspective of authority. Every time you hear the word authority, or the word submit, you cringe because your perception of submission is that it is going to violate and take advantage of you."
Such was the situation they all found themselves in now. Sam said his Dad never explained anything to his Mom so she just couldn't trust and it was heart-wrenching to watch the outcome.
She was in a state of paranoia and distrust of the staff. She wasn't being listened to when she needed to be heard so she was always feeling violated.
One of the daughters had left a family journal in the night stand and Simmy hand- printed the information that the nurse gave them... regarding the 'care home procedures and protocol' to protect the residents' hearing aids.
The staff would lock them away for the night so they couldn't be stolen by anyone. This particular hearing aid cost about $4000 dollars and was the most dear thing she had ever owned. She felt it was stolen from her every night when the nurse would try to take it, to safeguard it from possible theft.
Simmy tried her best to write out all the situation so that Sams' mom could read it all the next day and, hopefully, come to some peace about it.
Information is key to avoiding trauma. Simmy lived her life by that credo. It gives one a chance to choose to make sound decisions. It is honouring to give people information that gives them a chance to make decisions.
Come to think of it, almost all the situations in life that had become contentious could have been avoided by the giving of information. Information gives perspective.
In the book 'Forgiving the Unforgivable' one of the tools people use to dishonour others is the withholding of information.
Now that Sam and Simmy had access to his mom, she was going to get all the explanations they could give her... hopefully she would soon feel 'in the loop.'
Explanations can bring... peace.
Now, it takes time to give an explanation and then to listen to the response and then to explain, then to listen,... that's probably why the staff ignored her.
They had physical duties and wanted to fulfill their responsibilities.
"Oy!"
How do you change a lifetime of mistrust? No easy answers.