WORK, GRADUATION, REUNION, DERECHO, MOON, SLEEP

Each year progresses with increasing rapidity, or so it seems, as I realize 2013 is already half over.  “Along the way” I’ve continued with numerous activities including taking continued education classes and working part time.  In the process a few body creaks and quirks were gradually resolved with physical therapy facilitation and independent practice early in the year. 

My plans for travel east precluded my being present for the official opening of the retirement community  Green House concept Villas for which Geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas was present – a topic about which I’ve written previously.  

The timing of my trip also prompted me to relieve myself of even more work-related obligations in that community since last I wrote here.  Then, I had a realization that I felt like more change was in order for me and the facility could only benefit from the newer younger therapists with whom I’ve previously worked.  I still may help there occasionally, since somehow I haven’t quite been able to completely retire.  Meanwhile, I continue to fulfill California medical setting professional license continuing education requirements and national certification for clinical competence.   

My east coast trip brought me together with my adult children and their families to celebrate my granddaughter’s high school graduation.  This was the first occasion we had all been together at the same time since the memorial service for their father years ago.  Our small gathering this year was a most enjoyable experience during busy days and nights coordinating our visiting with some working schedules, including my granddaughters lifeguarding duties.   My endearing young red-headed grandson was an active 2 1/2 year old who kept us entertained.  What an age spread between these cousins.

Also, she was involved with a variety of casual social activities in which east coast graduating seniors engaged that were quite unlike those of her parents, uncle and aunt and my much earlier generation when we graduated from high school.  Even the student numbers contrasted as my class had only forty seniors and hers had over four hundred. 

Beginning several days preceding graduation various seniors, or two or three friends together, would have graduation parties in their homes.  All evening students would arrive, drifting in and out of several of these parties as we discovered when we attended the one our granddaughter and two of her friends held in one of the girl’s home.  Her friend’s parents were quite accustomed to such large student gatherings throughout the school years as the father also happened to be a popular high school teacher who enjoyed these young groups.  Fresh veggies, fruit, chips, sandwiches of pulled chicken or pork followed by delicious cookies and sweets the girls had prepared earlier were tasty attractions for attendees. 

  

I was impressed with this generation of young people.  Another night the cap and gown ceremony occurred in an auditorium packed with families whose numbers had necessarily been limited despite the huge seating area. 

A few days later many students left for a traditional senior beach week trip to stay in homes specifically rented  for the occasion as parents chaperoned - fathers for the boys residences and mothers at the girls housing.   I was particularly intrigued to learn they were near an area inhabited by wild ponies.  The only wild horses I’d ever heard of in the U.S. are mustangs in the west.  

My granddaughter will begin her well-deserved college experience in a few weeks which she anticipates with great enthusiasm.  I am especially proud of her academic achievements, dedication to developing her personal talents and skills despite the challenges beginning when she was upper elementary school age and her father left the family.  This attractive personable young lady is maturing in a manner that makes this grandmother very proud (I admit that’s a prejudicial grandma statement, but it’s true!)  

While I was in Virginia we experienced a little excitement with a Derecho.  I’d heard of hurricanes, tornados, sand storms in Arizona, Santa Ana Winds here in California, and a few other type storms but “derecho” was a new term to me.  Fortunately, the burst of wind that sped through our neighborhood only broke a large pine tree in a neighboring yard that caught on a branch in my daughter’s yard which kept it from crushing her fence and the top of a shed in another yard.  Unfortunately, other areas had far more serious damage including even loss of one young boy’s life.   

Now that I’m home in California, except for a few really hot days about which I wrote last month, we’ve been having some lovely weather.  We could certainly use some more rain, but then such moisture is uncommon here this time of year.

I resumed a regular sleep schedule when I came home, then weeks later one recent night I couldn’t fall sleep for unexplained reasons.  Days later I heard a news report about a Swiss study  that had concluded sleep patterns are affected by moon phases and falling asleep was more problematic when there was a full moon.  I checked the lunar calendar and learned the night I couldn’t sleep coincidentally(?) had a full moon.  Hm-m-m!