Spectrum
Maturity
Friday, April 7, 2006
After moving to a new state, we ‘embrace the place we are'
My father used to say, “If I can't have what I want, I want what I have.” When I was young I didn't understand what that meant. It sounded like he was settling for less than what he really wanted. As I got older, the saying started making sense to me, and I found myself understanding it to mean that you need to look for the good side of what you have instead of complaining about what you don't have. Or as my favorite preacher, Joel Osteen, advises, “Embrace the place where you are.” When my husband and I decided to move from our home in New Milford — a town we truly loved—not long ago, I couldn't imagine being as happy anyplace else as we were there. But little by little we're noticing all the joy we're getting out of our new environment in North Carolina . The first joy came from living in a house that needed nothing fixed. Then there was the weather. We never expected to be living in an area where we didn't need winter coats or boots the entire winter. There were days in December, January and February when the temperature was in the 50s or 60s. In March we even had some 70- and 80– degree days. As pretty as Snow made the landscape in New Milford, it was awfully nice this winter not to have to worry about how to get the car out of the driveway or bout hurting ourselves shoveling snow. (Having a garage for he first time in over 50 years of marriage is another plus.) When we bought the house we're now in, we had no idea what kind of plantings surrounded it, but in the last month or two, we were gifted to see a beautiful camellia tree in full bloom outside our kitchen window, daffodils all around our mailbox, and even a magnolia tree on our front lawn. This week, we realized that all the bushes surrounding the very tall pine trees in front and back of the house are actually azaleas. Loads of them in white, light pink and dark pink, are presently in the process of blooming. (My cup runneth over with joy!) One morning I had another surprise. When I woke up and faced the window a short space away from my bed, I was startled to see a bright red glow between the bottom two slats of the wooden blind. My first thought was a panic that something outside was on fire. As I “sprang from my bed” to get a closer look at what was happening, “what to my wondering eyes should appear", but a glorious sunrise. I stood by the window in awe as the bright red color spread itself into pinks and golds and tinted any clouds in the vicinity with shades of salmon interspersing the blue sky. In our old house, my husband and I used to love the amazing sunsets we saw from our windows facing west — I often ran outside to photograph them — and we knew that was something we would miss if we didn't see Sunsets in our new home. Having sunrises to view now is another example of “if we can't have what we want, we want what we have.” - Allow me to give just one more example: It has to do with proving that where there's a will, there's a way. I mentioned before that our new home is smaller than our old one, which is good because there's less to take care of, but it's not so good if one wants to invite 12 people to dinner, which I did to celebrate my husband's birthday and one of our sons' birthday on a Sunday between both those two dates. After I already invited everyone for pot roast dinner (to be cooked in my trusty old red pot with one handle missing) I wondered how to fit 12 people at a table that seats only six and is in a small area off the kitchen. Putting ingenuity into practice, I remembered that we had a small patio table on the back porch and a card table and chairs in the garage, so those were set up in the family room adjoining the official dining area, and it was like we had a little bistro restaurant where everyone could talk to each other, pass the salt or butter, and enjoy camaraderie with the whole family. As far as the town itself goes, I have to admit that the people who set up the town of New Milford did a marvelous job of centralizing all the important places in which a person has to do business. In New Milford the post office, banks, library, pharmacy, Senior Center, lawyers, churches, restaurants and other stores can all be reached from one parking area. In our new town, there are many, many shopping centers, but the post office, most banks and professionals like doctors and lawyers are in separate areas that need extra driving. Worse yet, we found that most doctors in our new town are not accepting Medicare patients. Until now, I thought all physicians had to accept it, but the excuse seems to be “no new Medicare patients.” One other thing: I'd like to warn people who are thinking of moving to another state to check if their medical insurance will be affected by the move. We had the shock of learning out-of-state can result in not so pleasant changes as far as coverage is concerned. (Here's a case where my father's saying isn't so easy to accept, but I guess there are exceptions to every rule, right?) Just being with our family, though, is worth whatever it takes.
Terri Andersen, who lived in New Milford for 36 years before relocating to North Carolina a few months ago, has been a regular columnist in the "Spectrum Maturity” section of The Greater New Milford Spectrum the past several years.
Theresa Andersen's articles. I am posting these in her honor. We love you Mom! We hope you are happy in heaven.-------------------------------------------------- Please check bottom of this blog for Older Posts
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Thursday, July 14, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
What will the new year bring into our lives?
Spectrum
Maturity
Terri Andersen
What will the new year bring into our lives?
Here it is, another new year, and so many of us wonder where last year's time went. At least that's the impression I get from the people who wrote notes in their Christmas cards to “I can't believe another year has passed,” some said. “Where did the time go?" others asked. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the passage of time can be arduously long or extremely short, depending to what's going on in our life at the moment. Someone said an example of Einsteins theory would be the difference between five minutes sitting on a hot stove and five minutes spent with someone you love. I know that when I had a bad cold that lasted two weeks in December, I felt like I'd been sick for such a long time there must be something seriously wrong. Then when the cold finally went away and I got into getting ready for Christmas, two weeks didn't feel like a long time at all. In fact, it felt like too short a time to get everything done. I have to admit that feeling miserable for two weeks made me appreciate feeling fine again when my cold was gone. I realized I had pretty much taken good health for granted most of the time. I think getting older and realizing that the body gets more fragile as we age has made me more appreciative of small favors, like being able to sidestep a trip on the stairs by grabbing the railing just in time to avoid a fall that possibly could have resulted in a broken bone. Now, every time I almost fall but don't, I say “thank you" to whatever source prevented me from having a bad fall. Other “almost” incidents also make me feel grateful. Just the other day I was cracking an egg into a bowl and somehow my hand bumped into the bowl and almost knocked it off the counter top. Luckily, I righted the dish before its contents could fall to the floor and land inside the heating grate next to the counter. Imagining what an odor that might have caused if I couldn't get into the grate to clean it. I said my little “thank you" for that, too. Then there are times when I don't feel grateful at all, like when everything that was familiar is taken over by technology to “make things easier for us" — and all it does is confuse me and make everything more complicated, especially anything to do with cell phones, cameras and computers. [My husband gave me a digital movie camera for my birthday last year, but no matter how hard I try to study the manual, I just can't seem to operate that camera.] I guess what I'm trying to say is that I miss the way things were when I understood everything and felt reasonably smart. Lately I feel so behind in technology that too much seems to be beyond my comprehension. I don't particularly like that feeling and don't know what to expect in 2006. Like most years, 2005 was wonderful for some people and horrible for others, especially the people who faced devastation in the hurricanes and landslides, and the loss of jobs, homes and lives. Yet so much compassion was displayed by so many people that we can't say it was a totally terrible year. What I'd like to see in 2006 is what the Spectrum staff hoped for in their first edition of this new year — namely, world peace, greater tolerance of differences in people at home and abroad, people reaching out to help others, plus quality progress in New Milford's educational and economic programs. _
I'd also like to see what preacher Joel Osteen wrote about in the January issue of Guideposts. He urged that we choose happiness by concentrating on what's good in our lives instead of what's wrong; by being true to who we are and not trying to be what we're not; by not giving up when things seem hopeless but using positive words and uplifting quotes that can work miracles; and by doing more giving than taking. [Helping someone else in need is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.] For the New Milford Senior Center, 2006 started off with it: much-loved program director, Catherine Bachrach, retiring at the end of January, and I’m sure all the seniors who frequent the center wish that weren't so. Catherine was the quintessential cheerer-upper for all of us who know her. She made everyone feel special and welcomed at the center, never seemed to lose her capacity for cheeriness, and did a wonderful job in choosing programs for seniors to enjoy. If someone was feeling out of sorts, she provided a sympathetic ear and did her best to soothe whatever was bothering them. A true gem, Catherine will be sorely missed. * Hopefully, 2006 will be a year that people remember for mostly good things happening.
Terri Andersen, who lived in New Milford for 36 years and has been a regular columnist in the “Spectrum Maturity" section of The Greater New Milford Spectrum the past several years, recently moved to North Carolina.
Maturity
Terri Andersen
What will the new year bring into our lives?
Here it is, another new year, and so many of us wonder where last year's time went. At least that's the impression I get from the people who wrote notes in their Christmas cards to “I can't believe another year has passed,” some said. “Where did the time go?" others asked. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the passage of time can be arduously long or extremely short, depending to what's going on in our life at the moment. Someone said an example of Einsteins theory would be the difference between five minutes sitting on a hot stove and five minutes spent with someone you love. I know that when I had a bad cold that lasted two weeks in December, I felt like I'd been sick for such a long time there must be something seriously wrong. Then when the cold finally went away and I got into getting ready for Christmas, two weeks didn't feel like a long time at all. In fact, it felt like too short a time to get everything done. I have to admit that feeling miserable for two weeks made me appreciate feeling fine again when my cold was gone. I realized I had pretty much taken good health for granted most of the time. I think getting older and realizing that the body gets more fragile as we age has made me more appreciative of small favors, like being able to sidestep a trip on the stairs by grabbing the railing just in time to avoid a fall that possibly could have resulted in a broken bone. Now, every time I almost fall but don't, I say “thank you" to whatever source prevented me from having a bad fall. Other “almost” incidents also make me feel grateful. Just the other day I was cracking an egg into a bowl and somehow my hand bumped into the bowl and almost knocked it off the counter top. Luckily, I righted the dish before its contents could fall to the floor and land inside the heating grate next to the counter. Imagining what an odor that might have caused if I couldn't get into the grate to clean it. I said my little “thank you" for that, too. Then there are times when I don't feel grateful at all, like when everything that was familiar is taken over by technology to “make things easier for us" — and all it does is confuse me and make everything more complicated, especially anything to do with cell phones, cameras and computers. [My husband gave me a digital movie camera for my birthday last year, but no matter how hard I try to study the manual, I just can't seem to operate that camera.] I guess what I'm trying to say is that I miss the way things were when I understood everything and felt reasonably smart. Lately I feel so behind in technology that too much seems to be beyond my comprehension. I don't particularly like that feeling and don't know what to expect in 2006. Like most years, 2005 was wonderful for some people and horrible for others, especially the people who faced devastation in the hurricanes and landslides, and the loss of jobs, homes and lives. Yet so much compassion was displayed by so many people that we can't say it was a totally terrible year. What I'd like to see in 2006 is what the Spectrum staff hoped for in their first edition of this new year — namely, world peace, greater tolerance of differences in people at home and abroad, people reaching out to help others, plus quality progress in New Milford's educational and economic programs. _
I'd also like to see what preacher Joel Osteen wrote about in the January issue of Guideposts. He urged that we choose happiness by concentrating on what's good in our lives instead of what's wrong; by being true to who we are and not trying to be what we're not; by not giving up when things seem hopeless but using positive words and uplifting quotes that can work miracles; and by doing more giving than taking. [Helping someone else in need is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.] For the New Milford Senior Center, 2006 started off with it: much-loved program director, Catherine Bachrach, retiring at the end of January, and I’m sure all the seniors who frequent the center wish that weren't so. Catherine was the quintessential cheerer-upper for all of us who know her. She made everyone feel special and welcomed at the center, never seemed to lose her capacity for cheeriness, and did a wonderful job in choosing programs for seniors to enjoy. If someone was feeling out of sorts, she provided a sympathetic ear and did her best to soothe whatever was bothering them. A true gem, Catherine will be sorely missed. * Hopefully, 2006 will be a year that people remember for mostly good things happening.
Terri Andersen, who lived in New Milford for 36 years and has been a regular columnist in the “Spectrum Maturity" section of The Greater New Milford Spectrum the past several years, recently moved to North Carolina.