ROLLER COASTER LIFE

It has been 3 weeks since the last time I typed something I thought someone would be interested in reading and I don't know how much interest I can stir up even now. My life lately has seemed to be on a roller coaster ride and I never liked roller coaster rides even as a young person so putting it in print seems scary.

One week my volunteer self is working on all four engines. Organizing school supply drives, collecting petitions for political candidates for 2010 elections. Heading to the Board of Elections office to enter signatures into a data basis. Then boom, the roller coaster is on the descend and the volunteer group has fallen apart, the signatures are all in and election time right now is all about fundraising (which I have no funds to attend these fancy dinners) so I'm not needed now and I find myself sitting here playing Majhong on Facebook all day.

Family matters work along the same amusement park lines only this is the all time thriller roller coaster ride of your life. A few days of creeping up those tracks, clickity click, clickity click is all the breathing time you get. Hit the top and bam! a swift fall, a quick turn, up and down, up and down, scream out loud, and start all over again until you think the only thing you can do is jump off. All of a sudden with no warning at all, a little sun shines through and you get a small amount of time to breathe again. But not for long. Here we go again.

And after all these years you realize that life is a roller coaster. There is nothing you can do about it but enjoy the slow time going up the tracks, take a deep breath on the down turn and start all over again. Stay in your seat, keep your arms inside the seat and please don't jump. Look around you when you are on the top. Take in the beauty of it all and try to enjoy the ride down because it's over before you know it.

DISAPPOINTMENT

As most of the world and all of Chicago knows by now we were ousted in the first round. The chance of seeing the Olympics in my hometown in my lifetime is over. I have carried gloom and sadness around all day today. I was awake in the middle of the night watching the presentation. I was standing in front of the TV watching every thing before the vote. I looked at the crowd in the loop and thought about the night in Grant Park when the election results named Barack Obama president and knew how some of those people there were going to feel when they announced Chicago as the winner of the 2016 Olympic games. I have been in combat with every friend and relative who thought it was bad for Chicago to have the games here. I felt the wind go out of the sail when the first round results were read.

And yet I don't know why I was so on the side of victory for Chicago. In 7 more years I would probably not only be unable to afford any tickets, I probably would be too old to fight the crowds and walk the avenues and just enjoyed watching on TV like I do every Olympic event. I would moan and groan about the congestion, the back up of traffic all over the city and the crowds in restaurants, stores and public transportation which is my way of getting around. We would be prisoners in our own homes until all the visitors left and went home with their gold, silver and bronze and the torch was dimmed but we would be proud. Proud that Chicago put on the best Olympic show ever. That Chicago showed the world what a beautiful and friendly city is all about. That Chicago's reputation is in the past and we have change the way we do business and are no longer second city but the city every citizen of our city, our state and our country is so, so proud of.
I guess that is what I was looking forward to and feel the disappointment of that maybe, just maybe not happening in my lifetime. Sorry all Chicago citizens for or against the games, I hope you will feel that in your lifetime.

BOREDOM

Every year the thoughts of winter start to flow through my brain and depression starts to set in, only this year it seems to be taking over sooner. It's 6:30 and it's almost completely dark. I had to dig out a heavy sweater today to take the dog out. It was 47 degrees this morning and it's not even Oct. yet.

I hate winter. I have always hated winter. Truthfully it is not so bad since I retired because I don't have to go out if I don't want to which is the cause of my boredom. I don't go out most winter days. Why I have stayed in Chicago my whole life has always been a question I can never answer except for family. I have said because I don't drive, Chicago is a great place to live. Public transportation in Chicago allows me to go most every place I care to go. And because I have always been a chicken, I was always intimidated with thoughts of going way from the comfort of home alone.

For the last two winters nothing kept me indoors. Snow, sleet, ice were no obstacle for me to overcome when I was out there campaigning for Barack Obama. In Iowa in December, knocking on doors in four feet of snow. Canvassing, working at the volunteer headquarters, phone banking, winter didn't stop me. Boredom was not in my vocabulary.

I wish I could find something that I believed in as much. I wish I could find something I could learn so much from as politics, I knew very little. I wish I could find something that I could meet so many wonderful and exciting people as I did then. That's the cure for boredom. I keep looking.

AN OUTSTRECHED HAND

Doing a good deed can really help someone who needs it whether it is just an act of kindness, a monetary handout or a friend to turn to in need. I have always known that when you do something nice for someone it makes you feel good also. As most of you know I have been volunteering since I retired 3 1/2 years ago but this week-end event just made my heart soar.

Our little group decided a few weeks ago to have a school supply drive. Four of us worked really hard passing out change jars in the local businesses, calling friends, family and neighbors for donations. We contacted one of the local schools who really needed help. They are in one of the poorest districts in our area with one of the lowest income per family around. The principal supplied us with a list needed for each grade and off we went.

On Saturday we collected the cans, stacked up the donations and counted out all those pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and ended up with over $400.00. Pretty good for so little time and not many volunteers.

Sunday two of us split the money and hit the stores looking for the cheapest prices we could find.

Now anyone that knows me at all finds this very strange because I hate to shop. I avoid stores like I avoid being in a car. If there is an alternative I take it but this was different. It was for the kids. It put a smile on my face just thinking about those kids. Plus it wasn't my money I was spending.

Because it was only two days before school started most of the stores were all sold out so it took many many stores to spend all our money. Thanks Kim for being so patient in driving me around all Sunday morning. But finally every penny was spent. I had to con a few managers to overlook the 3 limit allowance, "after all I could be spending a few hundred in your store."

Three carloads were delivered to the school on Labor Day morning and it was truely a labor of love. If only more people would extend a hand just think how many smiles there would be on so many faces. Coming up winter clothes drive, food drive. Who knows maybe a few more will put out a helping hand. They don't know what they are missing.

VACATION

I know I am on vacation most everyday. I don't count days that the laundry has to be done or when dusting, closet cleaning or floor washing are a necessity as vacation days. Days like today when it is 2:10 in the afternoon and I am only half dressed cause I was really busy doing volunteer work which I love and creating brochures which brings out my artistic side I consider vacation days.

But the real vacation is coming in 5 days. Vegas here we come. I can't explain why I love it so much. It is a different world from the one we live in. I love the sound of the music playing while I'm sitting at the slots trying to win my fortune. Listening to the shout of the people striking it rich. At least that's how loud they yell. I love eating at restaurants whenever you want to. I love the lights, the beautiful art of each and every hotel. I pretend I can afford the stuff in those ritzy shops even though I wouldn't buy most of it even if I was as rich as Oprah. Not a glitzy person. I always feel like I am a different person when I'm in Vegas. And most of all I love spending those lazy, happy days with close friends, sharing time with we don't get much of during the rest of the year.

Although I would probably never need the slogan "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" the idea of knowing it's there is exciting.

So here's hoping I strike it greedily rich but knowing if I don't and if God is willing I'll go back next year and try again. If there are no more blogs from me, I'm traveling the world with all the money I won. I'll call instead.

POLITICS

Most people in this country, or at least the people I know have just about gotten the Presidential election and campaign out of their blood. They have stopped watching most of the political news stations on cable and are able to turn on the TV without hearing about the polls or who is ahead or who won the debate last night. They have stopped complaining about how long the campaign is and how much it cost. But not me. As anyone knows from reading my first blog or knowing me personally I was so involved, election day was a wonderful day for me but Nov. 5th was a punch in the stomach. It was over. My life for the last 2 years as I knew it was over. My political conversations were over. My political social life stopped. I had nothing to do. Most were happy, I was lost. Luckily there was the close knit group who worked side by side for 2 years who understood and felt the same way.

But life has begun again. Oh I kept myself busy. Redecorating a bedroom. Joining a neighborhood volunteer group. Catching up with old friends. And watching political news daily. But now it starts all over again. Not quite so big. There is no presidential elections. All local but that's ok. I will be involved. Tuesday was petition day for the 2010 candidates.

My friend who I worked closely with during President Obama's march to the White House has been hired as campaign director for a gentleman running for congress in a district in Chicago and has asked me if I would be willing to help. Of course I said yes. I said yes because I would help him no matter what He is a good guy, my friend, not the politician. I said yes because I loved doing this before and will love being involved again. And I said yes because I love our city, our country and I feel if you are unhappy about the way things are run then you have to do something to change it. I know I can't change a great deal about the way politics are but I can keep trying. And at my age when you learn about new things, it's a good day. And I am learning new things daily.

YOUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTER

A blog written by my niece sent my mind wandering about my mom. The blog was not about moms, it was about napkins. She mentioned how older folks, especially grandmas always seem to have a tissue, paper towel or something on or near by at all times. As my mother got older, more and more there was always a paper towel in her hand or a tissue in her pocket or tucked into the sleeve of her blouse. My siblings and myself would shake our heads when helping her with the laundry cause 9 out of 10 times tissue that was left in a pocket was spread all over the clean clothes. The problem with that is I find myself doing that all the time. I can't sit at the table without a paper towel in my hand. And yes I do stick them in the sleeve of my shirt.

It's amazing what DNA does for you. My mom was of German heritage and dad Italian. We never mentioned or lived the German part. We were Italian in our actions, food and even friends but as I age I can't go a day without someone who knew my mom say "I feel like I'm looking at your mom right now. You look so much like her." And looks are not the only thing.

I think I am the luckiest of my siblings. Not to brag, or maybe I am, but I think I have picked up some of my mom's best traits. When my first child was starting school there was a parent meeting to get to know the teacher. Talking to my mom that day she warned me, "Don't volunteer for anything". "Sit on your hands." You see she was a doer. She was involved in everything we did growing up. I used to get so mad at my friends as a teen cause they loved her and wanted her chaperoning everything we did. Parties, dances, trips to the beach. Not much fun to have your mom around all the time but really I was proud of her. Needless to say before I left that meeting, I was the room mother, craft helper and anything else they needed me to do and I have been volunteering my whole life. I will join.

I am also proud to say I picked up her crafty talents. She did it all and was self taught. I don't ever remember her hiring a decorator, she did it all herself. Someone asked me how much a painter would cost. My reply was "I don't know, never hired one." I just did it. She never had a lesson in her life in any craft but got a job as a craft teacher with the Chicago park district. She taught herself to design and make her own hats. I never went that far, hats for women went out of style, but I was never afraid to try anything. I love art, crafts and decorating and in my next life I will become a famous designer or artist of some kind.

All thanks to you, mom. And still after 15 years I miss you daily and want to pick up the phone and ask you for help on some project I am working on.