Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

My birthday was actually two weeks long this year.  My sisters (and their husbands) threw me a birthday bash at a beautiful restaurant with the Susquehanna River in the background. My sister in California arranged her itinerary (she and her husband were going to Spain) to be there.  The last time were were all together was two summers ago although this time my nephew and wife were there.  We were a party of thirteen.  I also invited some friends.  The weather was perfect (we ate on the deck of the restaurant) and so was the food.  We were commemorating my sixty-fifth birthday.  My one sister made the same cake my Mom used to make for our birthdays.  She went to a lot of trouble for me.  I don’t have many relatives but they are scattered from Shore to Shore.  Maybe if I make it we will have a seventieth birthday party.  We will see.

Tags: birthday, birthday cake, birthday party, California, family, family get-together, friends, my Mom, my sisters, my sisters are scattered from Shore to Shore, nephew, perfect weather, restaurant, sixty-fifth birthday party, Susquehanna River
Posted in beauty, life, local, love, marriage, nature, relationships, seasons, time | No Comments »

I was just depressed.  The holidays were done.  It was January and the winter and cold were here to stay.  At least for three months.  My future prospects did not seem good.

I always wondered how it would be not to live in a temperate climate–something I have done all my life.  My nephew did his undergraduate work at Berkeley and once he had a taste of living in a climate where it does not get too cold, he wanted to go back.

I always wondered how it would be.  I have never been to California.  And never liked the cold although spring was always my favorite season.  I just wanted to get through another winter and it was just beginning and I was depressed by all that.  And did not know what to do but just to bear it and wear warmer clothing and stay in and somehow keep warm.

Tags: Berkeley, California, cold weather, depressed, don't like cold weather, holidays, January, keep warm, nephew, spring my favorite season, stay indoors, temperate climate, undergraduate, warm climate, wear warm clothing, winter
Posted in balance, life, local, mental health, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

Funerals are for the living. I am going to my Aunt Gerda’s funeral tomorrow.  I have known this aunt since I was this little.  My two sisters and my nephew and niece will be there.

My aunt lived until the ripe old age of 92.  No one lives forever yet others act as though death is an abomination and something terrible.  It says clearly in the Bible that from dust we come and to dust we shall return.

Funerals are really for the living.

It gives others, especially those people who were invested in that person’s life, a chance to process their grieving openly in a group setting.

Persons who died do not need the funeral except for the obvious reasons.  It is others–the living-who need the funeral.  So I will think about these things as I go to the funeral.

I grew up with my aunt and she was my favorite aunt.  Her death is still too fresh.  It is hard to fathom my loss.  That will take time.  Attending her funeral will start this process of grieving.

Tags: aunt, Bible, death, dust-to-dust, family, funeral, funerals are for the living, God, grief, grieving, loss, my favorite aunt, nephew, niece, two sisters
Posted in balance, death, God, knowledge&learning, life, love, relationships, time, wisdom | No Comments »