Four Widows In Four Weeks

 I do not know what it is to be a widow. A widow is someone who has lost her husband. A widow is the woman who is left behind when her spouse dies. Nobody really knows the heart ache a widow feels when she is left alone.

Chuck Nidey

October 26, 1935 - January 5, 2025

In a few weeks three women became widows. The first was a man who always had interesting stories to tell. He had been a police man and during that time he knew Elvis Presley. I knew him when he and his wife traveled with me to Blackhawk or on trips out of state with the Young at Heart Group. They told me of the many cruises they took, and the beautiful countries they saw.  Sometimes they cruised a few times in one year! In January of 2024 his heart gave out and he was gone. His widow and his family will continue life without him.

Philip Antonucci

January 22, 1948 - January 15, 2024

The second man who shocked everyone when he went to heaven was an active fellow in the Young at Heart group at Spirit of Christ Catholic Community.  His wife thought that the second time to the ICU would be like other times he had been in the hospital. His oxygen level was low and even when he was put on a ventilator it did not help. She thought whatever needed to be done would be done and he would come home. That did not happen because he passed away. Her thought was how could she continue without him since they did everything together. They went to Blackhawk on the gambling bus, traveled to Missouri, New Mexico and Mt. Rushmore with me so I got to know them. He and I were friends on Facebook and texted messages to each other. I loved that he would dress up for whatever theme we had at our meals and remember him in green for St. Patrick's Day, dressed western wear, a crown and cape for Mardi Gras, and his latest was dressing as Santa Claus for Christmas. He will be remembered by many, and his wife will enter a new chapter in her life.

Hank Baca

November 23, 1925 - January 1-20-2024

When I heard that a third man, 98 years of age, had passed away it was hard to understand that within a few weeks of each other they were gone. I hope that things do come in threes, and I don't have to mourn another loss. Hank was a beautiful and nice man and even though I had heard he suffered from Alzheimer's he seemed pretty normal to me when I spoke with him. At one of our sing-a-longs I watched him and was amazed because he knew the words to whatever song was being played! I know he loved to go golfing with his friends. He always had a smile for everyone. I remember how proud he was when we were at Mt. Rushmore. On that trip I had five veterans who took part in the military ceremony, and he was asked to help fold the flag! His sweet presence will be missed by many, but not as much as his dear wife who is now left without him.

Wayne Schnese

 

Yesterday I found out that another friend had passed away in January. What in the world is going on? Wayne was a hero to many because of the attention and care he gave his wife when she developed Alzheimer's. His daily visits to see his wife now will end and I feel for her and wonder if she even understands that he is gone. That is the problem in not understanding how much a patient who has lost part of her memory can even comprehend death, especially someone she loved. 

When I became acquainted with Mardi and Wayne they were a fun couple who enjoyed going to Blackhawk and gambling.  Later, she had trouble walking and he would take her to church and events in a wheelchair. When she was having trouble remembering he was there to help her until she went into an assisted living facility and then into an Alzheimer's unit. One of the times I spoke with him he mentioned that it was difficult visiting her every day, but she expected to see him and he did not want to disappoint her.

It had been a while since I spoke with him so the news that he was gone came as a shock and surprise!

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: 

To look after orphans and widows in their distress 

and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Book of James, Chapter 1, Verse 27

A Friend Has Gone to Heaven

 For three days I have been snowed in without wanting to go out of the house. Below zero weather, snow on the ground and sad news of friends being ill. A dear friend has been in the hospital with news that he may have to be put on a ventilator to help his breathing. A prayer chain went out with many of his friends praying for a quick recovery. And then I got the news this morning that he had gone to heaven. What a shock!

With so many prayers floating around, I would think that maybe one prayer would reach God and my friend would have felt better. But God had other plans for my friend.

He and his wife traveled on a few trips with me and they were always fun and great company. An avid gambler he was one of the first to sign up to go to Blackhawk. If I went to the five o'clock mass all I had to do was look to the corner where the religious store was located, and there he would be. He always had a smile and wave for me. He and his wife would go to dinner after mass and sometimes I would join them. He and I would have conversations about diabetes. I told him about a chocolate candy I liked with only eight carbs and he went out and found them and told me he really enjoyed the chocolates. I loved seeing his response to some of my posts on Facebook plus texting. I liked that he always dressed according to the theme of the lunch or dinner. He was game to do anything to have fun! St. Patrick's day, western, Mardi Gras or Christmas he was ready!  

 As I write this, a text came from his wife letting us know that he received the Sacrament of Healing and that she told him to go on ahead and find a house for them in heaven! I could not control my tears as I pictured their good-bye! What can I say other than I will miss seeing him and chatting with him.

I remember how happy he was when I gave him a Santa Claus costume. He told me he was letting his beard grow so he would look like a real Santa! This year I was not at the Christmas lunch but he sent me a picture with Fr. Chris and said, "This made my day!" Sometimes he was my backup photo taker and I knew I could always count on him.

One Saturday evening before the 5 p.m. mass he told me that Joyce was ill and would not be going gambling but he would be going. He said, "See you in the morning." But in the morning, I received a call from him letting me know that he came down with something at one in the morning and he would not be going to Blackhawk to celebrate New Year's Eve Day! That was the last time I talked to him. And now, two weeks later he was gone.

Another friend has gone to heaven and it saddens me that two other friends had funerals in January also. I don't know why there seems to be so many deaths of people I know, and I wonder if it's because of my age. It stands to reason that the older I get, the more people I know may be called to heaven! As I see his picture I find it hard to believe that he is gone. We never know when we will be called to depart from this earth so we all should be ready! 

A man was asked to say grace for breakfast. The man said, 

"Lord, I hate buttermilk and I don't care much for white flour or lard. 

But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits. 

So, Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand 

what you are saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. 

It will be better than biscuits!  

Stay strong, my friends, because our Lord is mixing several things that we don't care for,

but something even better is going to come when He is done!"

From the Internet

Going Out of Business

 For about seven years I have not visited Flatirons Mall. On Sunday I went to Dillard's to find a pair of shoes. I have found that Dillard's carries many well-known brands. After two hours of picking different  shoes, I ended up purchasing two pairs for the total of $272! I told the friendly and helpful sales associate that I did not have the proper socks but the shoes seemed to fit. I brought the shoes home put them on and walked around the house. One pair I absolutely did not like. The second pair I loved. Loved the color and how they felt on my feet. After walking around for a while I developed a pain in my toe area. Was it the shoe or did I have arthritis? And why had it flared up? None of my old shoes caused my toe to hurt. I waited a day and tried the beautiful shoes one more time.  Again, the toe pain made me realize that the expensive shoe must be causing it. I put on my worn and faithful shoe and my toe was fine.

Today I drove to Dillard's to return both pairs. I arrived at 10:40 thinking the store would open at 10:00. The store did not open until 11:00 a.m. I returned the shoes and looked at a few other shoes but they did not have the color I liked or my size. Since I had a gift card from Macy's that I had been carrying around for years, I drove to the store on the opposite side of the mall. No longer could I walk from one end of the mall to another without getting tired.

At Macy's I walked into a deserted store. No customers and no clerks. I wandered around and decided to go to the shoe department where a clerk was standing in the aisle. I asked for the brand name shoes I like. "Do you carry Ecco's?" He shook his head and continued shaking his head as I asked, "Berkenstocks? Josef Seibel? Born? Merril? I thanked him and went looking for socks so I could use a gift card I had been carrying around for a few years. The stocking area was so depleted there weren't many hanging on the wall. I found a package of six and began the search for a clerk so I could pay.  I could not find anyone to ask. Two customers were also looking around and we commented that there were no clerks to be found. A large sign with an arrow pointed me to a checkout counter. When I reached the counter there was another sign directing me to go to a station near the entrance. On my way to check out, I saw a clerk in the cosmetic department. In fact, there were three clerks in the area so I asked one if she could check me out. She said she could and rang me up. I used my gift card and my $20 socks cost me $9.00.

How can a store stay in business without clerks or merchandise. My thought was that the Macy's at Flatirons would not be around much longer!

The other thing I noticed as I drove around the parking lot was that P.F. Changs had been painted and the large horse is now brown instead of pink and it sports a red saddle! I did not walk through the whole mall but my guess is that many changes have happened since my last visit! Who knows what other changes are happening, but I know there will be more because there is a lot of construction going on!

"If you spend fifteen minutes

in a shopping mall, you will pass

more people than our ancestors

saw during their entire life time!"

Rolf Dobelli

Our Mother in Heaven

Every year when Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day falls on a weekend, Spirit of Christ has a huge celebration with music, pinatas, storytelling, a Mexican dinner and fantastic decorations in her honor. When her feast day falls during the week it is a smaller celebration. 

On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, a small committee of about seven persons were pleased with the get together.  A small altar was set up in the Chapel with the statue of Our Lady, people sang hymns to her, a rosary was said in English, Spanish, French, Polish and Italian, mass was celebrated by Fr. Trevor, and a reception with hot chocolate and cookies ended the evening.  

Earlier in the evening Luminarias were set up in the patio and they looked beautiful as they gently lit the area. Filling the paper sacks with sand, placing a candle in each bag and lighting the candle took a group effort by the committee. 

One member prepared a beautiful stand with silky cloths, small paper flowers, and twinkling lights so that Our Lady of Guadalupe had her own niche which gave the statue a special aura.

As the rosary ended, those in attendance processed to the altar carrying a red rose to place in the vases situated around her statue while a group of singers, from Mexico, sang hymns to Our Lady. Everyone was pleasantly surprised as over a hundred persons attended the celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"Her appearance led to millions of indigenous people

converting to Catholicism. 

Today she is recognized by the Vatican as the

Patron Saint of 'the Americas.' "

From the Internet

Someone Watches Over Me

God, Saints or my Guardian Angel are always protecting me and directing me in a direction that I had no idea I would be going. Today I drove to the Arvada food bank to take three containers of goodies to be given away during the holidays. I got out of the car, left my front door wide open to get to the trunk and ring the bell to deliver the goodies. A volunteer opened the door and told me to place the items on the scale. I saw a volunteer from Spirit of Christ and recalled my days of volunteering. I asked the lady helping me for an employee who had worked there a few years back and she said, "Yes, she still works here. Do you want to see her?"

I told her I would love to see her and I was led through a maze of pathways until we reached an area in the back where the offices are now located. I laughed and told the lady that I would never have found my way through rows of food, many volunteers, people shopping, until we got to my friend's office. They were having their Christmas party and she invited me to join them. She and I chatted for about half an hour and she mentioned that they are getting many people from south and central America. "These people do not speak English and I have been doing the translating for them but we are in desperate need of someone who speaks Spanish." 

That stirring that I feel when I know why I am in the right place made my heart give a little jump. I knew why I had asked to see my friend even though many times I have taken items to the food bank and never asked for her. She introduced me to the outreach person, and I will call her once I look at my calendar so I can come in to help at the food center. I could be of use and the good thing was that I would not have to stand or do a lot of walking which were the main reasons I had stopped volunteering.

She walked me to the door and that is when I saw my car with the front door hanging open. My purse was in the front seat with over $1600 because I had been to the bank to get money to pay my car and home insurance. As I walked toward my car I prayed that my purse would still be there. And it was.

Once again, I felt that I had been helped by powers that show up in my life when I need help or they want to get a message to me! I sent my prayers of thanks to heaven and I know that I will be useful by helping those in need! 

"If you can't feed a thousand

people, then feed one!"

Mother Teresa

High Scale Chinese Restaurant

 Din Tai Fung is a Taiwan Restaurant in Arcadia, California. It is so popular that reservations need to be made weeks in advance. When we arrived at the entrance of the restaurant in a mall, I could see it was a very large place to eat, waiters were extremely friendly and cheerful, and it was crowded. Ordering each item of food is done separately, and my granddaughter did the ordering for us since she had eaten there before. Green beans, hot and sour soup, chicken fried rice, dumplings, a dish with pieces of ginger for us to add soy sauce and vinegar, and spicy chicken wontons. The dishes are brought at different intervals as one dish is finished, another is put on the table. We finished the soup and the green beans arrived along with the dumplings The wontons and chicken fried rice were put on the table and everything was tasty and delicious. I found the food to be quite different from what I am used to eating in a Chinese Restaurant. The restaurant is known for their Xiao Lung Bao which means Little Dumpling in a Basket that are steamed in a bamboo basket. There are instructions on how to eat the steamed dumplings by letting us know to poke the small pillow to allow the steam to escape! 

A different culinary experience with my family opened my eyes to something different! I had to ask for a fork because the eating utensil were fancy metal chop sticks.

Every waiter smiled and thanked me as I exited the restaurant and a few said, "Hope to see you again." It was amazing to have about ten waiters being so friendly amidst the huge crowd as I left the restaurant! My conclusion is that it is a fabulous place to eat and the waiters must go through extensive training to make every person leaving feel good!

"I really, really love China. To be honest, the food is so amazing! 

When I first went to Beijing and Shanghai, I actually became obsessed with dumplings,

 and would stand in lines and get them on the street. It was something that I became obsessed 

with and when I came back to the States, I did all this research for the best dumplings

 in the Los Angeles area and in the New York area and it was amazing 

to find those Asian dishes that were authentic and I can enjoy them at home." 

Tyra Banks

Irish Christmas

When I was told that it was Christmas with Colcannon I imagined hearing the normal Christmas carols and what a surprise I got when the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra and Colcannon performed Irish and unknown tunes. We were fooled by the title of Christmas with Colcannon!  Colcannon is a group of five who are tremendous musicians with an array of instruments such as the flute, violin, guitar, mandolin, cittern and a large hollow drum called a bodhran!

Some of the songs were humorous, some were sad, and the jigs were happy. What amazed me was how the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra could join in when needed as Colcannon performed. I figured they must have practiced together a lot! For two hours we heard about twenty-six tunes, some short and others quite long.

 In the brochure I read, Colcannon's appeal crosses lines of age, gender and ethnic background. Although the primary musical focus is on the beautiful wealth of traditional Irish music, including all-acoustic instrumentation and traditional as well as original tunes and songs; Colcannon's true message is the story of the resilient and joyous human spirit.

At the end of the concert they received enough applause that they returned to the stage one more time! When the last notes faded away, they got a standing ovation as they left the stage.

After the concert we decided to go to Appleby's for dinner and while we were eating, who walks in but the group Colcannon. As some of them walked by our booth we clapped and they seemed pleased! I later went up to their table and took their picture, especially the fellow who had a vest with lots of sparkles.

Our evening of fun began on December 10, 2023 at 3 p.m.at the Broomfield Auditorium. It was an interesting evening that didn't quite get us ready for Christmas, but we enjoyed the different music and seeing the band off the stage and in the restaurant! The group was founded in Boulder in 1984 so they have been playing together for around forty years!

"Ireland is rich in literature that understands a soul's yearning,

and dancing that understands a happy heart!"

Margaret Jackson