Chronicles of Lily: 2010

I have to take a break from preparing for my trip on Friday to relate something strange.  I’ve had strange before but this is really STRANGE.  You see, several weeks ago I was shopping at a Super Target and was impressed with all the gourmet and healthy foods they were carrying.  I loaded up on a few choice items and got on line to pay.  The woman ahead of me, who was already at the checkout with her son, had 3 big cartons of something that caught my eye.  It was coconut water.  I wondered why anyone would buy that much, so I asked her.

She was hugely enthusiastic about the benefits of coconut water—the electrolytes and how it was better than Gatorade—the calcium, enzymes, refreshing, health benefits.  You get the picture.  I didn’t have time to go back and get some but I picked up one of the big half gallon cartons to look at all the minerals and great stuff listed on it.  I thanked her and she went off.

I emailed my daughter Liana about coconut water and she said she was already drinking coconut water.  Ok, so I’m the last to know!

Being busy with other things, I didn’t get a chance to Google coconut water til this past weekend and was duly impressed with everything I read.  So I went to Target, then a Super Target, then a Publix.  A day later I tried Whole Foods.  And came up with NOTHING.  None of these stores, including the Super Target where I’d met the woman, carried the big cartons of coconut water.  Some carried cans or quart size pure-paks or little sip ups but nothing that looked like what the woman had bought.  I spoke to grocery managers and store clerks, and everyone said they’ve never carried big cartons of the stuff.  Yes, they said, NEVER.  One clerk said it was probably a special.  No, I said, this woman told me she came in every week and bought about 3 cartons for herself and her kids.  Every week!  That didn’t sound like a special.

When my daughter came home on Sunday, she happened to have a small pure-pak of coconut water in the car with her and gave it to me.  I’ve since bought another brand, smaller cartons, etc.  But NO HALF GALLON OF COCONUT WATER….

I’ve even Googled for the half gallon cartons, and it ain’t out there, folks.

Conclusion?  I must have entered a parallel universe where this woman was supposed to clue me into coconut water and its health benefits.  What else should I think?????  Aaargh!!!!

July 30, 2011 Saturday.  The long journey to Toronto, Canada starts today.  Actually it started on May 6, 2011 when my dear cousin Ingrid (aka Dolly) died at her home in the Cayman Islands.  She lived to be 80 years old, which was a wonderful thing considering she had living been without one of her lungs for about 30 years.  Just amazing.  She had lived in California for a while and prior to that, for many years in Toronto, Canada, where she lived with her wonderful husband, Jess.   They ran a successful men’s nursing home there for many years……quite lovely with peacocks in the garden….but huge snows in the winter!  No wonder she searched for warmer climate.

I have decided to relate the details of the funeral and this trip as a tribute to her and as a way of allowing our family members to see and participate, virtually, in the events.  I might eventually repost everything in Hungarian, we’ll see… 

I am also doing it for myself as this has been a difficult and complicated process and journey, getting everything to fall into place with myself and my cousin Zsofi working on the details, and to flow smoothly. It has stirred up a lot for me…this blog will help me through this time and to process everything that is happening in me and around me.

The photo above is of the Kalis-McIntee funeral home and crematorium in Wilton Manors, FL.  I drove there this morning around 11am to pick up Ingrid’s ashes for the journey back “home”.  Unexpectedly, as I sat down in my car for the drive, I began to cry.  I cried the whole way there.  I can feel that I am not done with the sadness or the crying just yet.  It’s been a long and difficult journey for me, being the one chosen to pick up and carry the ashes to Toronto.  All of Ingrid’s other relatives are mainly in Germany and Hungary, and California.  At the moment it looks like my daughter Liana and I will be the only ones in attendance at the funeral, which makes me sad for several reasons.  For Ingrid, that there aren’t any representatives from her immediate family of cousins (although hopefully that may still change with 9 days to go to the funeral); for me, that I cannot introduce any of our cousins to my daughter, who has not met them as yet.  Unfortunately, funerals are often family reunions, but it turns out that was not to be in this case.  Some sadness there.

October 2010…Yeah, so practically the whole year has gone by.  Ok, so I couldn’t keep up with the daily blog routine and I jumped ship.  So maybe I’ll come back as I can…

A lot has happened this year…some good, some not so good….some stressful…but I maintain my sense of humor regardless.

Like Tuesday, October 19, I have to go in for surgery.  Not a favorite pasttime.  Doctor was monitoring a cyst on my left ovary and instead of going away, it got bigger over the course of 9 months.  Up to 4 cm. now, which is kind of the size of a golf ball, or so.  So out it will come along with the ovary.  But it’s ok.  I did my homework and I’m fine with it. 

God forbid the doc finds something not so good in the cyst fluid, then it’s a different story and they take everything out.  BTW he’s going through my bellybutton for Pete’s sake, via a laproscopy.  Amazing what doctors can do today with teeny tiny cameras and what not.

So send me good energy and prayers for a good outcome and a speedy recovery.  I so appreciate it!!  And I bless my doc, Dr. Tangir, and his skills and judgement as I know he’ll do an amazing job.  Thanks in advance Doctor!

July 30, 2011 followup:  So, a little followup after the fact.  My health is good.  Nothing bad was found during the surgery last October.  Thanks Dr. Tangir.  Here’s a photo of him.  Wonderful, better than average doctor, very caring.

Only thing is that here I am, 10 months later, and my energy hasn’t fully recovered.  What’s up with that?

Here’s my roomie for the weekend, Joanne, and moi….always good times…

Non-stop busy since Thursday…..aaargh….had to take a break last night, so Joanne went to hear the SubDudes by herself while I tried to recoup myself….!  But today after a lovely breaka we were out and drove down to Dania Beach for their Arts festival….rain lurked all day but didn’t fall….Met some other friends there as well and here we are after sniffing around the antiques and artwork.  Elisabeth went and bought dining room chairs, and earrings, and earrings, and I don’t know what else….!  I bought water, LOL…..the bands were great but they didn’t have enough live music.  And here we be (bottom L to R): Elisabeth, Pam and Lego; (top, L to R): Lily, Debbie, and Joanne.

Ran around to four locations today with my Women in the Arts core group—Liana, me, Angeline, and Lori—and we think we’ve found THE place for our festival.  Just waiting for an estimate to see what to do next.  So here we are enjoying a much deserved lunch break at Tarpon Bend…!  It’s been a long day but very productive! By the way, the food was super fresh, delicious and beautifully presented!

Wonderful concert tonight at the Sunrise Civic Center Theatre where I work, with Elvis impersonator David Morin and band.  What an incredible voice this guy has…matter of fact he sounded just like Elvis….and you should have seen those hips shaking, haaaa…..Thanks David for a great job!

Was walking on the path again and heard a strange scratching sound….there was this squirrel chomping away at some tidbit and making quite a racket at it…Love the way this silhouette came out with the little guy (or girl)…..

Taking another walk along the lake path…beautiful scenes again watching nature….a couple of cormorants in the pine trees making their strange honking noise…

My friend Pat and I went down to the new Miamara Cultural Center to see Johann Strauss’ opera, Die Fledermaus (The Bat).  Have always loved the music in this light opera.  Plus it’s humorous….although I wasn’t expecting it to be spoofed as it was tonight, a bit.  A very different interpretation of the opera in some ways….but entertaining!  Here we are all dolled up.