The Age Is There...

I never really thought of my mom as being "old".
When my parents decided it was time to move into a Senior High Rise, I have to admit I did not like it one bit. They were not old enough for this! I was only 24 years old at the time. Forgetting the ages of my siblings. Who are all much older. I never told them how I felt about this move. They were doing what they felt was right for them. I only had to respect their decision.
While helping them move, Mom and I were in the elevator. This woman just kept staring at us. It was most uncomfortable. After a while this woman finally starts talking.

Woman, "Forgive me, but what is your last name?"
Mom tell her, and explains how she and dad are just moving in.
Woman, "What is your maiden name?"
Mom tells her. The woman's eyes suddenly get larger.
Woman, "Is your mother Zelica?"
Mom "Yes!" Daddy is Arthur"
Woman, "I'm your mothers 1st cousin! You "kids" were young when you lost your mother." Which Mom is the third oldest of ten children. She was 11 when her mother passed.

From there, I couldn't tell you the rest of the conversation(well, I do remember being introduced). I was relieved there was a reason for her staring. At the same time, I was surprised by someone calling Mom a "kid".
Today, Mom is in her 80's. There are sometimes I forget how old she is. Mom is always on the go. Always the first to join in the fun, or try something new. Her laughter carries, and is contagious. Ya know, sometimes she calls laughing so hard she hangs up. I give her a few minutes before I call her back, so she can regain her composure. When I do call her back, there we are laughing within minutes. But then there are times, when the realization of her age hits me like a ton of bricks! Even so, she has become a contemporary and one of my best friends!

A Dream

I am haunted by this dream I had. My husband was busy talking with these guys who were walking around inside the house, and outside in my yard. They were all wearing polo shirts and dress pants. I'm not sure who these guys were, or what exactly they were doing. They remind me of those people who go around to different stores during inventory. These guys even had the hand held computers. My son was in his room studying or reviewing something for school. I kept going from room to room, watching everything. As I started to walk into the kitchen, I saw this beautiful woman dressed in a light colored dress and a grayish sweater and a handkerchief on her head. She was floating around the yard. No one else noticed as she floated. Every so often she would float to the sliding glass door in the kitchen, look inside at me and smile. As she smiled at me, I felt a warm comforting feeling. She looked so familiar to me, but I could not remember who she was.

When I woke, I recalled the dream in my mind. Still bothered by the floating woman. Who is she? Why does she look so familiar? Do I know her? Why did her smile comfort me? What, if anything does she represent?

It was several days before I realized who she is. My maternal grandmother! I have never met her. She passed away when my mother was around 11 years old. Now I'm wondering why is she in my dreams? Does she have a message for me? Is she just checking on me and my little family?

I told my mom about my dream. Told her of how she smiled, and how I felt. Mom has a book her sister made for her and the rest of their siblings with family info and pictures. Mom opens the book to a picture of this beautiful woman sitting on a porch with her hand on her chin, smiling, and asks.."Is this the woman in your dream?" as if to validate what I just said. I tell Mom, "Yes!" Mom tells me that is her mother. I tell Mom, I realize this.

Mom "Why is she in your dream?"

Me " Good question! I have no idea!"

This dream still haunts me to this day. I wrote my cousin to email me the picture. I describe the picture almost exact. Except, she is not wearing the handkerchief in the picture. Here is the picture...

Looks like the same dress and sweater as in my dream. I wish I got to know her. She must have been an amazing woman!

Getting To Know Me

So, I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself, and why I chose "angeltastic". I am a spiritual person. I do believe in angels. Too many things have happened in my life that were not just "being lucky". Nothing made me more aware of this, then when I gave birth to my son. First, I was told I couldn't carry full term because of health issues. A couple months later, I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I agreed I would do anything and everything to try to carry full term, and did. My son was born, healthy. I, on the other hand had complications, and needed emergency surgery immediately after his birth. I did get the chance to hold him in the delivery room. Even tho, I was in rough condition, I swear this beautiful baby boy opened his eyes, looked at me, and smiled a real smile. I can't explain it, but that is when I knew everything was going to be OK. Since then, I started an angel collection. It started out with tree toppers and grew from there.
About me...hmmmm....lets see...I guess you could say I am a wife and stay at home mom. I use to work outside the home, but those nasty health issues reared their ugly head, and now, I am forced to stay at home. I try to not complain, as I believe there is a reason for everything. So, there has to be a reason for this...right? I can't walk, stand or sit in one spot for long, stairs are a nightmare. As a matter of fact, as I am typing this, I am sitting in a remote control chair that I use to move every five to ten minutes. I have temporary bouts of paralysis. So when I walk, I sometimes fall. The worse one was when I was walking to the car. I don't remember much about it other than hitting my jaw for times on the ground/unpaved drive, loosening my teeth. So, as you probably figured out, I'm not the most physically attractive person...hence the reason for no picture...bad teeth and overweight, or as I like to say "fluffy!" At the moment, there is nothing I can do about the teeth, or have treatments. The economy being what it is, and my little family was not immune from the effects, my husband was laid off. When you are laid off you loose your health care. I have applied for disability, but was denied because my husband makes too much. (Lets just say that is an entirely different story/rant for another time) It might seem as tho life has not been good to me. But, that could not be further from the truth.
I have this amazing family. My parents are my heroes. They came from literally nothing. Dad grew up in an orphanage, and Mom was in what was knows as "The Poor House" from there to different foster homes. Eventually she and her siblings reunited, and have been ever since. Sometimes, I say I have a family of 15, or I have more than one set of parents. You see, mom is one of 10, and after she and dad married, they all came to live with them. As my aunts and uncles married, and moved away, mom and dad started having their own children, I am the youngest. I've always known dads sister and her family. As a matter of fact, she is my Godmother, even named after her. My Godfather is her oldest son. I finally met dads brother, and his family as a teen. No surprise they are just as wonderful as the family members I've always known. Most people have one or two parental figures in their life that made a difference. I, on the other hand, am Blessed to have more than two. I'm not just talking about aunts and uncles, but cousins as well. The age difference between myself and some cousins are so grand, that they have children my age. Come to think of it, those cousins who are close in age, have made a difference in my life as well. I'm grateful to be a member of this amazing family! Some may say "lucky"...I choose "Blessed"!

Musician

Music has played a very important role in my life. Whether it be drum corp, marching band, singing, or performing in a variety show. All of which I have done. I was told that I would pick up my brothers baritone(a horn used in drum corp) and play it. Not well mind you, but I got a note or two. When I was old enough to march in drum corp, I did. During the same time, I also joined the school concert band. It was drilled into my head that my grandfather was this amazing brass musician. So it was only natural that I play a brass instrument. Over several years in drum corp I was in the horn line. I learned how to play several of the brass instruments they used. Oddly enough, never the baritone. When you are in drum corp, you eat, sleep and breath drum corp. At least in my family we did.
When I entered high school, I left drum corp. I stayed with the trumpet, performing in the concert/marching and jazz bands. It wasn't as strict a lifestyle as drum corp was, but strict none the less. The summers were my own. At 13-14 years old, that was foreign to me. But, still had to practice the trumpet.
Once I graduated high school, I stopped playing. About 15 or so years later, there was a band reunion. My husband and I attended. At the reunion, there was a small band made up of the different graduating classes. After the reunion, there was an interest to keep that band going, asking other alumni members to join. I did, and stayed with it for many years. It was strange to me how I hadn't played for so many years, and after a couple of practices, everything came back to me. A band mate was looking for volunteers to play in the pit for a musical his son was in. I volunteered to play a different horn than the trumpet, but one I had played before. I practiced a couple hours a day, going between the two instruments. Now, I had the annual alumni concert and the musical within a week of each other, using two different horns.
As I've stated earlier, my grandfather was this amazing brass musician. He was a trumpet player, but could play any brass instrument, and did whenever needed. So, I thought I could do this. After all, over the years, I've learned how to play different horns. I could never be more wrong! I kept my word, practiced hard, and played in the pit, just not well. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done musically! Something I swore after that weekend I would never do again! I gained a new respect for my grandfather. He was a one of a kind, true musician!

GOT CAKE?

Ever since I can remember, a cake was a box mix, with icing. These days we can do so much more with that box mix. I found a red velvet cake box mix that had a recipie using cool whip and canned cherry pie filling and sliced almonds on the side of the box. I added to that by using chocolate frosting on the sides. After all chocolate and cherries do go well together. This is a double layer velvet cake with cool whip, sliced almonds and cherries in the middle, and on the top with chocolate icing on the sides.

Then I had the idea of using this no bake, home made cheesecake filling instead of coolwhip. This time, instead of a double layer cake, it is a velvet bunt cake. The center hole is the cheesecake mix.

Once the cheesecake is set I iced it with chocolate frosting and added the cherry pie filling

Surprisingly the only large amounts of sugar is in the frosting. The cheesecake is made with equal, the cherries are light, and the velvet cake only has 6 grams of sugar. Still small slices as it is rich, and tastes very sweet.

The Standing O!

Growing up, Dad worked nights, so Mom would take me to see my brother or my cousins in school musicals and community theater, and community variety shows. It started by her bribing me with an ice cream sundae from Howard Johnsons after the show. During the show, she would nudge me, saying so and so was on stage, or she could hear them sing and hum along. If she enjoyed the play, Mom was always the first person to give a Standing O. Eventually I gained an appreciation for musicals. One of my favorite musicals is Fiddler On The Roof. A few months ago, I was given the opportunity by the music dept where my son goes to school, to see Fiddler starring Topol as Tevia in his Farewell Tour. Topal is known for his portrayal of Tevia on the stage and movie version. The show was amazing! Sharing this experience with my son made the evening that much better!
My son has been in every school musical since entering middle school. He is always in the background, and chorus. His reason for this is because crunch time for the musical is always the same time as mid-terms. The deal is, the kids can only participate in the musical as long as they are passing their classes. Anyways, you could see how much he enjoyed being on the stage. My husband and I are just as proud of his performances as tho he was the lead.
This is his senior year, and the musical was Guys and Dolls. Four of us went, my husband, his mother, my mother, and myself. My mom had to sit next to me. Every time she saw him on stage, she would nudge me, telling me she saw him onstage, or how she could hear him singing(he has a distinctive bass voice). That night in the audience, it felt like I was a child again. Mom was there, humming the tunes, and nudging me. Only the ice cream sundae was seeing my moms reaction to his performance...a Standing O!