Rest in Peace Ramona

February 18, 1931-August 19, 2008 ~ Ramona Nolasco, cousin and Godmother to me. Devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-n-law, grandmother, aunt, good neighbor, artist, long standing member of the Women's Guild of Our Lady Of Fatima Catholic Church. What a big heart, generous, quick witted, smart, sensible...deceased, yet the goodness, love and all the lively memories remain. What a great role model she was for many, not just for women but a great example of what a good person is all about. She was a solid citizen and contributing, upstanding member of society. She had good common sense with a really sharp sense of humor, practicality was also part of her arsenal of qualities and she will be missed tremendously.

Ramona succumbed to complications of Parkinson's disease. She gave it a good fight after several years. The last time I saw her was around Christmas, 2007. I pulled out a beautiful ceramic nativity set she made for me some years ago. The set included the three wise men, a camel, donkey, little drummer boy and of course Joseph and Mary with Baby Jesus. I had to see Ramona to thank her and remind her of that nativity set she made me and how beautiful it looked on my shelf in the entertainment center. When I saw her it was a shock, I knew she was ill with Parkinson's but to know what type of women she was for all those years, strong, exuberant, so active and involved with life and seemed to make every moment count. She kept an organized, neat and very cozy home and now to see her so physically incapacitated, it was heart wrenching to say the least.

She will be missed. Her grandchildren, particularly Camille, Allice and Rudy (Tripper) were awesome as they stepped-in and made sure they could help their precious Grandmother during the last couple of years and covered every detail imaginable to comfort her and make life manageable. It's pretty amazing, the level of support, especially Camille, showed during the hardest days, what a true testimony to the love and devotion a grandchild or any child can have for their aging and ailing loved one.

There are some people who you see next to never yet you know will be there no matter what, special or sad times, celebrations and such. It's a given. Even earlier today talking to one of my sisters she automatically included Ramona while mentioning the people who are invited to join us in celebrating my Mothers 83rd birthday next week. It's an automatic, knee jerk type-thing. And now Romona has transitioned on into what I believe is a better place...peaceful, powerful, perfect, a place of privilege and with her daughter Renee who preceeded Ramona in death several years ago due to an illness that took her life quickly. That really knocked alot of wind out of Ramona and maybe the heart break and headache of Rene's death somehow triggered the Parkinson's. We'll never know. It doesn't matter. Ramona will be thought of endearingly and loved forever by those of us whose lives she touched and impressed with her goodness and presence while living out all of her days and nights in this world.

We love you Ramona!
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen

Did You Hear The One About...

MOON BLUE

Stevie Wonder

Moon blue, rivers of love you shine,

Bathe me in light sublime

Flood me with all your glowing heart can give

Moon blue, memories bind like chains

When will you come again

I wait in darkness just for your bright to beam

'Cause I'm not afraid of the consequence

Of being in love with you

And I'd rather be alone some nights

Awaiting your full hue

For though the sun makes bright the day

My world is dark when there's no you

You light my skies and make dark night bright day,

Moon blue Moon blue, your beauty's seen by all,

the yearning of your call

Travels the world and then makes home my soul

Moon blue,

lift me to starry heights, I long to live within your light

Solace of mind, my heart is yours for always

'Cause I'm not afraid of the consequence

Of being in love with you

And I'd rather be alone some nights

Awaiting your full hue

For though the sun makes bright the day

My world is dark when there's no you

You light my skies and make dark night bright day, Moon blue

~ Wonderful ~

Nature Boy

..." The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return" ~ From the song; Nature Boy, composed by Eden Ahbez in the late 1940's. ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

A hidden treasure named Lizz Wright offers a hauntingly beautiful rendition of this timeless classic with a virtuoso percussionist named Jeffrey Hains accompaning her ~

August ~ Amen

So, we meet again? Blame It On The Bossa Nova. It's entirely my pleasure, I'm sure. It's a brand new day, a brand new way to strive and thrive, to thrust forward in the right direction with a good heart, armed with kindness, respect and all the choices and chances to start over, fresh and brand new all over again. Reflect and deflect defective darkness devoid of virtue, to have an effect, potent impact, to be or not to be better, or bitter, badder, blessed and a blessing. To propel one's self with the propulsion of a rocket and positive force to be reckoned with as our perception creates our peace and place in the world.

The part of life that is lovely, light and lingers on in our memory rendering relief and respite...a soft reflection in hard times of loneliness or to recount a piece of life with regret, remorse or a wish and prayer that you could undo, redo or remain undisturbed, undaunted, unmoved by the pain of the present and past. There is a pull and push to steady the course, maintain balance in an unbalanced world. To be a rock when everything is rolling, to run when it would be easier to walk. To stay when you want to go. To go when you would love to stay. To hasten to a destination when you would rather drift along. Be still, calm and quiet when you are compelled to cry, rant and rave. Patience, peace, the divine purity and perfection placed in our very presence to protect us in the eye of the storm so we might emerge unscathed, sheltered and shinier through it all.

The magical, most memorable moments in time seem to zip past us at warp speed, begging to be savored, suspended in time, frozen long enough to take hold of your heart then float on to infinity. The luxury of pondering such things in a world drowning in doubt, dispair, indebted to so many for so much, depleted and dying for good loving, good living and laughter...joy-jumping, foot-stomping, side-splitting, lighting-fast bits of life we wish would last forever as the creamy and complete experiences leave you wanting more.

Good morning , good day, good after noon, good night, good God Bless us, then, now and forever, never forgetting the good, standing tall, stronger than your weakness and carry on with the heart of a lion and the brilliance of a bursting, blazing galaxy, stretching and streaking across the vastness, the monumental beauty in you, in us, in our midst, reminding ourselves with youthful exuberant purpose and intention to build a better home, a safe and happy place, a port in the storm when one is lost, afraid, in need of the warmth and comfort of words and ways to encourage hope, a better awareness and understanding of an unbelievably perfect, safe, peaceful, powerful place and time, accessible right here and now, to those who seek such miraculous nuggets of heaven. The prospects are exciting, exhilarating, at once excruciatingly overwhelming to imagine the possibilities. Relax, restart, at ease.

Go and come in peace and find a way toward or back to something or someone good, kind, right and real. Is it you, is it me all along like the answers found in some questions? Let go, no reaction to the action of shame, blame, judgement, torment, twisting what is good into distasteful and fictitious falsehoods. Time is wasted with self imposed burdens, bitter tears are shed yet washes you clean. Take comfort in time invested to smooth out the bumps and bruises, leaping above the lumps and lacerations of life, emerging like a champion with the ones you love and take with you forever, into a place we can only imagine, far beyond our wildest dreams.

The original entry today was inadvertently erased. I put together a few thoughts this afternoon, it was something out of the "slap my face and call me Willie" files. It shook me to the core, like a lighting bolt, shocking the sh*t out of me. I lost it with a tap of a button. To rewrite, reword verbatim, the inspired soliloquy is asking to much. I started writing about summer winding down and back to school time, then I heard Kid Rock sing Amen ... I took a left turn and another go at it as someone laments, yet again, about life so laughable, lovable, deplorable, delightful, simple, tangled and true.

The tall and short of it... I pray and love you into the future with pure intention to lighten your load, when it's heavy, to lift your spirit when it's not clear or cleaned for take-off. I bid you peace of mind and wish for hope, courage, commitment to keep your corner of the world and mine...smoother, softer, smarter, sweeter, healthier, standing upright, ultimately happier for the wear and tear of tears, cheers, triumphs and tragedies, by The Rivers of Babylon.

I bow my head to you and to pilgrims everywhere; Viya con Dios mi preciosa amigas y amigos de mi corazon y alma! To People Who Need People... aah that would be you and me.