Verlie’s Back!

A December Michigan afternoon and it is dripping from the eaves as I am watching outside my window the few people that think it was a good idea to get out and drive on a wet afternoon. At least it is raining and not snowing so I know I could get out of my driveway! In the wintertime we always counted that a blessing. Everything seems to be black or grey, brown or white.
But inside it is bright and cherry. The lights are on, the furnace is running, and I am warm and dry.

I’ve been working on a difficult jigsaw puzzle, a Springbok, and I am enjoying it a lot. I am right in front of the sliding glass door where I can keep track of what is going on around me today. I have always enjoyed these puzzles because nothing matches on them, and so it must be done strictly by the colors. Nowadays puzzles are my biggest challenges and that is good.
For the past few weeks the urge to start writing again has been floating thru my mind but it has taken a while to actually start doing it. I have always felt that I wanted to write about my thoughts yet sometimes life would get in the way and put an end to it. But here I am again, and oh, it does feel so good! How can I feel alone when I have so many good memories of a long and productive life. How can I feel alone when I can read or write on my trusty IPad or phone at any time of day or night? The memories of my children or parents or husbands or siblings or many grandchildren or friends are all here with me no matter where I am or where I go. I know that sometimes my family is concerned about me being lonesome but I am finding out that when you have reached the magnificent age of 91 you really are never completely alone.
And this is a good thing. So many great memories. When I look at my photo library on my IPad I realize anew just how lucky I have been. Throughout all of the ups and downs of life I have been guided by the Spirit within us all and I am so thankful!
Time to pause for a while, but I shall return again, looking forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you. Knowing you are all an important part of my life! Knowing that we are all sharing our lives together!

Counting Our Blessings 💕

Sunday evening and I am back at home from the facility, resting after another long day of family, friends, phone calls, emails, and all that is a part of my daily existence right now. It is an overwhelming experience for me. I knew vaguely that our children, our friends, and many others cared about us in some everyday way. I never doubted it but also I really didn’t think about it every day either. This is our life, a long and productive one, but I didn’t dwell on it a lot. As an extended family we have blended together in a most enjoyable way.
But now we are watching our beloved husband and dad, Bob Rider, slip thru the remaining time of his life and it has become evident that he really is important to a lot of people. I hope that he knows somehow just how much he has meant to a lot of friends and family in his life. He has always been a family man. Proud of his children and grandchildren, working for him in their childhood on the farm and at the farmers market.
Proud of the four sons that he acquired when he married me almost 33 years ago. And he has always made friends easily. He was always known as the “apple man “ at the Muskegon market. That is how I first met him 34 years ago. We have been very fortunate. We have been thru all of the ups and downs of life as we know it. We have traveled a lot, casino’d a lot, read a lot, watched Gunsmoke and The Virginian a lot and it has all been good. Now we watch another episode of our life unfolding and I can honestly say. “How lucky we have been to find each other “ and how lucky I am to have found my special place in life complete with new daughters and a son. 💕

Our new direction💕

Of all of the various directions that I have encountered in my 91 one plus years of life on this planet I think that this is probably the one that has had the most profound effect in my everyday living.
There is no one to say, Verlie, this is what needs to be done. No one to say, Verlie, this is for your own good, or your own happiness, or for someone’s well being. This is it. It is my life, it is my husbands life, and I must do what is right for us. Our six living children, our 13 grandchildren, our many great grandchildren, they are all a part of us and everyone has their ideas about our path forward. Prayers and encouragement have been extended and we all know that we want the best for Bob and I.
And so do we. Of course we do. There is one major problem tho. It is no longer in our best interests for Bob and I to make the decisions together. His memory is fading with his 93 years and now he must trust me to do is best for him. The best thing about that is that he does. He loves and trusts me as I do him. It is an honor that this is so. We have lived together for almost 33 years now and we have had many happy and productive years together. Our children love and honor him with everything that they say and do. My four sons are grateful that he has been so good to me. His two girls are the daughters I never had. And our son in laws and daughter in laws are our children in word and deed.
But it has become time to make the changes. For two weeks now Bob has been living at the White Lake Assisted Living facility and he is now in the Memory unit. He has his own belongings and his own many photographs and a favorite chair to watch his television in. He has many aides to help him when he needs it. They have great meals and their own chef to prepare them.
One thing everyone can say about Bob is that he is a very friendly soul and always thanks them for everything. I can tell the aides like that already. We live 22 miles north of White Lake Facility so it is easy for me to drive there each day. Winter is going to be a challenge, no doubt, but I am working on that.
Bob is always going to be remembered as the Apple Man. He sold every variety of fruit to Muskegon County at the Muskegon Farmers Market for over 50 years. He gave my friend Loyce Tapken, the Apple that she gave to me that led to our happy marriage.
I am so thankful that I can still write to all of you, my friends, on my trusty IPad, and give you our news. Writing on here is one of the major blessings of my life. Sending you all love and blessings. 💕 theappleladyblog.com 💕. Verlie Rider💕

A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY

Yes it is, here in Florida at least, and I am determined to enjoy it. I look at the Weather Channel, check on Michigan, shake my head in commiseration over the snow-filled charts, say a little prayer over any family or friends that are driving in it, and relax. It is absolutely perfect here right now. It is George Washington’s Birthday, and a day to celebrate.
And we are celebrating our family, the original Strong family. On Monday my brother, two sisters, and spouses, plus a niece and husband, all gathered here for a potluck lunch. Dressed in our summer clothes even tho it is February, we are enjoying the sun with a little breeze. It is about 85 or so on our shady patio. We have come from different places, in order to all be together for our annual luncheon. It is the first time tho since the start of Covid so we are doubly grateful.

And in a way it is a miracle. The ages of this group range from 78-90 years of age. Despite our ages we are still mobile, still happy to be together in one place. We miss our brother in law after many years together but he is in our hearts today. But we rejoice in being together on this sunny occasion and look forward to continuing our visits each year. We exchange all of the news about our children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. The food is tremendous, as you would expect from experienced cooks.
And then everyone packs up their bags and heads for their destinations scattered around Florida. I know that in a few hours I will get text messages from everyone that they arrived safely. Our mother taught that lesson to all of us many years ago. Of course we had to call long distance then. How times have changed. But she also taught us that we are a family, we love each other and we stick together. The love of our parents has tied us all together. 💕

CONNECTED

Colorado, my Colorado
Another word for us to ponder today, and this one should be on our top ten list!
Connected! What does it mean to you in the scheme of things? Are you connected with your family, your church, your job in a meaningful way? Is it important to you to know that no matter what happens you have people you can depend on to back you up?
This idea was brought home to me earlier this week on Messenger, the app on Facebook where we can text each other in a more private fashion than the normal way of doing things. The conversation was with a group of four people all giving voice to our opinions, and we definitely felt committed. We shared ideas and pictures and lots of little red hearts. Altho we were in four separate homes scattered about the United States we felt that we as a group were connected no matter the physical distance between us.
I can still remember living in Colorado Springs, 1300 miles away from home, and how much I missed my family. Phone calls were beyond our budget, and so we wrote letters and ran to the mail box every day hoping for answers. Now we as grandparents are connected by electronic devices that bring our friends and family into our presence just by pressing a few buttons. We see how easy it has become to keep in touch, daily if we choose to. The pictures of family life are saved so easily that we carry them with us wherever we go. We meet new friends or renew old acquaintances and it brings back the smiles to our faces.
There are many ways for us to feel connected to the world, but it is up to us to make the effort in order to reap the benefits of our closeness to one another. So think about the word “connected” the next time you meet or greet someone you love. Whether it is “online” or the physical reality, know that we are all connected, one with another. Your joy or pain is my joy or pain, and we can show that in our daily lives as we remain connected to each other.

JUST ANOTHER REASON TO COME TO FLORIDA

When I am lucky enough to be here in Florida for a few months each year there are always plenty of reasons for me to make a statement of love for my adopted state. It isn’t that I love Michigan any the less, as there are numerous reasons for me to care for the state that I was fortunate enough to be born in. Where else can I enjoy Lake Michigan, the lakes, the boating, canoeing, and the fantastic sunsets. The variety of plants, the farms filled with orchards or cattle or fields of corn or wheat are everywhere. The land of Hiawatha, all of the Great Lakes, the miles and miles of forests filled with trails and lakes and bicycles paths. I love Michigan and in harvest season there is no place I would rather be.
In Colorado where I lived for quite a while there were the mountains and the clear air and the feeling that you could reach up to the sky for your Maker. There was a sense of adventure, a new place that many Americans have traveled to for the last few centuries. It was a place where I felt at home from the very first altho it was very different from Michigan. But life intervened and I eventually returned to the state of my birth, Michigan. I became a part of the orchards and the farms and the forests again, and I loved it.
Now here I am today, in Florida, and the weather channel says we are going to get some solid rain and thunderstorms this afternoon. We are rejoicing because our lawns, our gardens, and our crops, all need the refreshing rainfall. It is strawberry season in Florida and heaven has arrived. Imagine living where the markets and stores are filled with fresh, local strawberries, every day for weeks. Strawberry shortcake every day if you are so disposed to do so. Festivals will abound for shortcake or sundaes all around the surrounding area.
There will be specials in the restaurants and also Church festivals. People will relax and enjoy the products that our local farmers have provided for us. Each year people dream of coming to Florida to soak up in the sun and get warm again. But one of the things that should bring them here in February is the sweet succulent strawberry and the shortcake that follows it.
Maybe our state planners should decide that when they next advertise for Northerners to visit us, they should mention the beautiful strawberry. Nothing could show off our state in a better way than to mention the fresh fruits and vegetables that are fresh off of a local farm. Fresh tomatoes in February? There is no way for anyone to compete with that.
We had fresh tomato and bacon sandwiches for lunch today. Come on down, our dear neighbors to the North, and we will welcome you with the best shortcake in the country to be had, and it is all here waiting for you.
Ah, the rain is about here, and the strawberries will continue to ripen and we will be thankful for Florida. Strawberries, another reason to be grateful in a wonderful state.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

“Put another nickel in, in the nickelodeon,
All I want is loving you, and music, music, music!”
These are the words that popped into my mind when I started thinking about writing an article about music! This song, written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum in 1949, was very popular when I was growing up. Teresa Brewer put out the biggest version of it in 1950. At that time, whenever one singer got a big hit, every other singer followed it up with their own special version. The minute I would hear it on the radio I would start singing right along with it. Teresa was at the top of the charts for many years with her bouncy style of music. She was a very small girl, but filled with energy and people loved her.
In my teens there was hardly ever a time when I didn’t have the radio or my phonograph turned on. The first thing I bought with my library job was a 3 speed record player and it cost $60. Since I was making 60 cents an hour you can see that I really felt it was worth it for me to have my own music. As the years went by I acquired quite a few long playing 33 speed albums.
Singing in our church choir for many years, taking piano lessons for seven years, listening to the radio constantly, my life has always been filled with music. Now my laptop and my Ipad are filled with it. As I type here I am listening to Elton John singing “My Song”.
My Aunt Donnie played the piano beautifully and I wanted to be as accomplished as she was. For a long time I just played the piano by using my fingers and pretending on our kitchen table. My dad found a way to buy an old upright piano for $25, and then my mother figured out a way to pay for lessons for me at $1.00 a week. She gave up things that she needed so that I could have the lessons for a long time. Alas, tho I loved playing and practiced diligently, I never acquired the skill that my aunt had all of her life. My cousin, Carolyn played by ear, beautifully, which means she didn’t even need to see the notes, and I really envied that.
It is amazing how the words, music, music, bring back all of the memories of my life and how much of a part they played in it. Music, books, writing, the Internet, all have formed me into becoming the person that I am today. In our house my mother played mostly show tunes from Broadway, so I became a great fan of people like George Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Classical music also filled the air, mostly because my piano teacher gave me assignments of symphonies. And in later years I became an avid rock fan, and still to this day I play all of the greats of the 80s and 90s.
So I guess that I am a product of all of the years spent listening to radio and tv in all of its forms, and it has been a great pleasure for me. Many of the major events in my life can be brought back just by listening to a particular song, like “Rainy Days and Mondays” by the Carpenters.
We all seem to feel a special closeness to the singers who sang the songs that we have loved for a long time. When we hear of the untimely death of one of them, it is like a big chunk has been taken out of our lives. We smile thru the tears as we remember what it was like when we listened to them at a special time in our life. And we thank all of the songwriters who expressed our feelings so well as we listened to their music.
Thanks to the friend who suggested using Music as a subject to write about in our group. The words just came bubbling up like Teresa Brewer, Music, Music, Music. We owe a debt of gratitude to the ones who make us sing, or cry or smile as we remember. Music, one of the greatest pleasures in life.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A LIFE MAKES

Sitting here in a warm and very pleasant temperature on a sunny day here in Florida, tapping away at my laptop, I am reminded very vividly of an old song from my teenage years.
“What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours,”. I think that it was Jerry Lester, the early time comedian who sang it. A bit of trivia. Remember Dagmar, the blonde he admired?
Well, if 24 hours makes a difference, how about 24 years, or fifty years, or whatever figure you choose to pull out of your distant past? It is two days before Christmas, no matter where you are, and the chances are that you are scrambling to keep up with all of the things you have to do to get ready for the big day. Shopping for the big items on your list may have finally been done, but there are still all the little extras that you must get in order to make the coming holiday absolutely perfect. There is still that last minute trip to the grocery store, or maybe the meat market or fruit stand. All of the things that have been left to be done at the last minute are staring you right in the face and there is no more time to dilly dally around, you must do them right now.
The tree is looking gorgeous, full of old fashioned balls and lights that remind you of the childrens attempts to make the sparkling tree look like an event out of Fairyland. You remember all of the years they brought their ornaments right home from school and couldn’t wait to hang them on their very own tree. Some of the ornaments may have come from your own childhood of so long ago. It is a tree of memories, and especially for you who have lived thru them all.
If you have children impatiently waiting for the big day you are doubly blessed, because you can see the wonder of Christmas thru the eyes of a child.
As adults we become accustomed to the hustle and bustle and just want to get thru it as best we can. But as a little child is filled with the spirit of the big day there is a glow about them that brings happiness to everyone who is lucky enough to see it.
So why am I thinking about Christmas in a fond but distant manner as I sit here, typing away? It is because time passes and lives change, and days and years go by and nothing really seems to stay the same as we age. Our park is filled with a lot of happy and contented seniors who have chosen to spend a part of their lives in a warm and sunny climate. Sounds wonderful, and it is. Our children are happy for us that we have the opportunity to do this, and there is constant communication with each other thru the miracles of technology. We have plenty of things to enjoy here and no one seems to be complaining about the way our lives have developed.
But when a holiday looms before us, and we remember all of the days and years when we were the ones rushing thru the toy stores, finding just that perfect thing for eager hands to open on Christmas morning, the little thoughts tend to come creeping into our heads of when it was us that did all those things and made things work just right. Our memories will stay with us forever, we hope, and we know just how lucky we were to have made them. We are proud that our children have carried on our sense of making a happy and jolly Christmas for everyone.
Here in the park people will get together for the special day, and they will remember back when. Back when it was us staying up late at night, sewing doll clothes or putting a bike together after midnight, and we will rejoice that life goes on, as friends and family carry forth the Christmas spirit wherever they go.
So here is a Happy and joyous Christmas to all of our Facebook and Twitter friends, our families, and scattered old friends, no matter where you are, as we remember that Life goes on and we still have all of our memories. It is a good time to think back and reminisce about all of the people we have loved over the years.

THE DREAM

Early this morning I had a dream. Not just an ordinary dream, destined to enter my sleep, erupt my thought patterns and leave just as swiftly as it had come.
No, this was a full-fledged dream, and as I awoke, I remembered the warmth and the glorious feeling of it all surrounding me in my warm bed. You see, in my dream I had a brand new baby, she was mine, and I held her and felt the incredible miracle of how a brand new baby feels, the cuddling and the softness of her skin, and the delight of being a mother. I marveled at how big she was and remembered that all of my babies, all boys, had been so big. But this was a girl and I was overcome with joy! I realized that we must give her a name and at first I thought of Elizabeth, my favorite name as a teenager. But then I thought of my mother, and the name became Leona, in my mind. My mothers middle name had been Leone. That was it. I hugged her and said “my sweet Leona”, and knew the joy of being a parent again as I held her and caressed her. I felt the certainty of it all and never realized I was dreaming.
But then I began to wake up. Remembering how vivid this experience had been to me, I began to wonder. Was it a dream or was it an experience? As I sit right here writing I can still know that something amazing happened to me, and in my mind I can still feel and see it. Who is to say what really happened? I know that dreams usually fade away, but I also know that writing this down will keep it fresh in my memory. In this strange and mysterious world of ours how are we to know what is real and what is imaginary? Years from now the scientists may tell us for sure that dreams fortell our experiences, either past or future. Maybe I was remembering an event of long ago in another lifetime.
What triggers a dream? Could it be all of the pictures of babies I see every day on Facebook, being held by granddaughters or grandsons or nieces? I don’t know.
All I know is, it felt so vivid and so real that now I know I must keep watch wherever I go in my daily life. Maybe this warm and beautiful little girl exists somewhere watching over us and I was lucky enough to hold her in my arms for a little while. But I will be sure to remember my sweet Leona, wherever she may be.

THOUGHTS ON A BRAND NEW BIRTHDAY!

First of all, I made it! Another year chalked up and I am still here. Despite all of the ups and downs that have been a major part of my life, here I am, still rising up each morning, being thankful that I made it safely thru another night, and the world is still my oyster. Looking out the window I can still see that the sun is shining, our yard looks absolutely beautiful, the hollyhocks are holding on to their last blossoms, and there are roses in bloom. And the concord grapes are almost ripe.

September is probably my favorite month, and it’s not just because it’s my birthday month. When I was a child I was eager to go back to school, where books and friends abounded. I always did love the learning process and the competition that school provided. Now that the main word around here is “retirement” nothing has stopped as far as books and reading and learning has concerned. The blessing of having enough time and choices to do whatever appeals to me most is high on my priority list. It is easier for the average person to continue their own education at their own pace than it ever has been before. Computers, tablets, smartphones, they are all at our fingertips.

So on a day when I am sending prayers and wellbeing for the friends and family we have in Florida, I am still thankful for all of the blessings we have received. Life is an up and down procedure, but at least we are proceeding in a forward direction. I have a heart filled with immeasurable love for all of the friends that get up every morning and go about their lives even tho they don’t always know what is in store for them. I try to remember that everyone doesn’t have the same priorities as I do. Maybe theirs are more important than mine are right now. It is good for me to remember that the viewpoints of the other people are at different stages in their lives. They will find, just as my generation has, that everything and everyone changes, and so will theirs, in time.

So this is enough reminiscing for another year. Hope that next year we are not thinking of another hurricane, but who knows. Thanks for the fabulous wishes! 20141025_181549000_iOS