IS IT ALL ABOUT A BIG CHRISTMAS TREE

IS IT ALL ABOUT A BIG CHRISTMAS TREE

A mediocre pic of a beautiful big tree

Initially, I started this post thinking about Christmas and the  Christmas tree. Then, my mind started wandering around the time I saw the first big Christmas tree in USA. It was many years ago, but my yearning for a big Christmas tree never dissipated. At first, I adored the real trees -- they were raised in farms to be sold for Christmas. They make kids and families happy; they keep the presents under their branches; they fill the rooms with the unique scent of tree freshness. Then, I discovered the faux ones in the stores and malls. The expensive ones were so well made, you cannot tell them from the real ones. You can touch them and still wonder...

There is something about big real trees which makes me feel awkward. It happens when time comes for their "garbage" collection. I never got to terms with the idea that a tree can be garbage. This may defy any logic, but the garbage collection of the trees does not suit me. Just like that -- they are used, and useless. Have to go....

This is how I ended up having a 10 feet faux tree. 

My husband and I were looking for a faux tree for quite some time. Finally, we found that big boy in a local plant nursery. He looked like Douglas fir. His price tag was at the level he totally deserved -- $500. We were not ready for such an investment. I still kept hoping, "there may be a sale soon." Isn't what all Americans hope for all the time. I am an American, too. I have to believe in the miracle of the price story. 

It paid off. Two days before Christmas, there was a sale. The price of the tree was down to $50. How did this tree ended up being 90% off? 

It was a steal!!! We bought it right away. I paid. It was all set and done. While my husband was trying to move the car outside, an old lady appeared with her husband. She said, "this tree is mine!" I responded, "the tree was sitting here with no sign that it has been sold to you." She solicited the help of the customer service guy. 

"Didn't I tell you to hold the tree for me?" 

The guy was cornered. Are you going to admit to one customer you did not do your job at a time when the other customer has already paid? How can you turn down an old lady? Besides, this was the only tree of that size. 

None of us, the women, were thinking of settling the case easily or negotiating a deal with customer service.

My husband was already back. He realized my gloves were off (in hockey lingo), I was getting ready to take off the helmet. The husband of the old lady knew his wife even better. She was not a quitter and she wanted her tree. 

It seemed to me that the two husbands had decided "to watch the game." All they needed was a couch and some beer. At the end of this nonsense, a manager was called. He was smarter. He gave me the tree, while the old lady ended up with a free tree, 8 foot tall.

I did not end up only with a tree. I ended up with a story about her, a feisty little lady, who stood up for her rights as a customer. 

For 10 years now, the big tree is on display in the house right   after Thanksgiving. It stays til the end of January. I decorate it beautifully; some decorations break, some are getting old. Just like in life....

I deeply regret what I did. All I had to do was to explain to her:

"I never had a big Christmas tree in my life." 

She would have understood.   

MY KITTY CAT BAXTERBOY

MY KITTY CAT BAXTERBOY

I was not planning to write about my cat, Baxterboy today. It just happened. I woke up in the middle of the night crying, calling Baxter's name... It took Gary some time to make me understand it was just a bad dream. "It is not just a bad dream," I persisted...

I lost Baxter 5 years ago. He was my faithful friend through all his 8 year long life. How many really faithful friends do I have left?

I met him in a shelter with 7 other identical kittens. I chose him, because he was not too playful and not too shy. In a way, he had accepted his life for "It is, what it is. Whether you like me or not, this is me!" 

When we took him to the vet, I gave him the name Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The vet said, "It is a girl!" The next day, during the more "comprehensive" exam, the vet changed his mind. Hmm... Sofia became Baxter?! The gender really did not matter to me, Sofia Coleman, became Baxter Coleman. 

Baxter was named after the top guard of the University of Maryland basketball team. In 2002, the team won the NCAA championship. Loni Baxter played a vital role in the win.

Similarly, Baxter Coleman played a vital role in my life.

Baxter had a very happy life being a Coleman. He had good appetite, good hygiene habits, and interesting personality. He was a 'ladies' man'. Baxter liked all women coming to the house, but when a man tried to play with him, even with the intentions of petting and feeding him, he would growl and hiss. His feelings were out there; he was wearing them on his short legs. 

"I would very much appreciate it, if you leave me alone and mind your business. You may like me, but I have no intentions to reciprocate!" This message was delivered every time a man was trying to be friendly.

He loved his father, but even Gary was not safe. Baxter would throw temper tantrums. No educational methods worked. I tried.

I was very proud of his bilingual skills. He was capable to pick up Bulgarian words as if this was his native language. If people only knew what we were talking behind their backs...

Find me if you can...

Once, we needed to go on vacation. Baxter was boarded at the Vet Hospital. I was calling every day from Europe to see how he was doing. Every time, the office reassured me he was doing great. On our return, we went to pick him up as soon as the building opened.

Time came to learn the truth. Baxter was terrorizing all the dogs trying to "bark" as loud as them. In addition, he was making his body look as big as theirs. This was not very difficult to be done--Baxterboy was not a tiny boy; he was a little chubby... He made the staff anxious without attacking anyone. As a mother, I knew why he was doing all this "bullying." He was miserable and a little pissed off to be with everybody but his family.

When he heard my voice, he became as quiet as a mouse and gave me a big "meow" hug. We drove home. Everyone had his own way of feeling happy.

Baxter's life took a turn for the worse when I got sick. He was the cat who saw my seizures, right in front of his eyes; he saw ambulances; he was covered with blankets to prevent the EMTs from doing their work. There was noise, people running around the house, chaos.

I was told all of this later. I was unconscious, but a big, furry ball in the laundry room was listening and worrying if he would have his Mommy back. I am sure he was thinking how in the world he could love me, but be unable to help me...  

We all wonder about this when someone in the family gets sick...

When I came home from the numerous hospitals, I was half the person Baxterboy knew. 

Somehow, we recognized each other.

Sadly, Baxter was born with a congenital kidney disease. His kidneys were not fully functioning. It was his turn to go through treatments and mine--to worry and cry. He was quietly laying on my lap, barely moving his butt upstairs to sleep in my feet. He knew and I knew, we do not have much time left to be together.

Baxterboy loved flowers (like me and his Daddy.) The impatiens picture is taken in his favorite hanging out area. He stayed there for hours.

Peek - a -boo!

FRIENDSHIP and DISEASE --part 2

FRIENDSHIP and DISEASE -- part 2

Pic courtesy of Ralitza Tchiorniy

This blog post is about the friends I have and about those I have lost as a result of being sick.

One beautiful day in May, I got sick. This day turned into weeks, months, years. My denial of the disease turned slowly into acceptance and realization of the good and bad the disease brought to me. Instead of reading all my beautifully written papers from the past, I finally put an implant in my head with the sign: "This was the past! Enjoy it! The good thing is that there is now!"

Some people show interest in learning about diseases for the sake of getting information. Another group is more worried, "What if it happens to me tomorrow?" The happy-go-lucky ones are 110% sure, "It will never happen to me!"

One day in May, a viral brain infection hit me. It left scars behind, but it also left me to deal with them. From hiding, to openly talking about seizures, psychological side effects, communication, feelings.... And friends. This is the road of the survivor.

You can lose friends due to all kind of diseases. Sadly, you may not even know exactly what caused their death. There may be many people around you with seizures, too. They function perfectly well, they take, or do not need medications. But, there is a group of unlucky 1/3 of the people with seizure disorders, whose seizures cannot be managed. With time, the types, the treatment techniques and side effects change.

Ignorance always remains the most difficult to fight and cure.

My story is not unique. I am one of the one third. My writing is as good as it gets with the amount of  medications I have to take in order to live. Sometimes, I ask my daughter to edit. She edited my memoir "Seize the Seizures" a number of times. In my blog, I just do my best.

With social media, the number of friends skyrockets. I take being a friend to someone much more seriously. I pick them one by one. Forgiving those who hurt me because of my disease-related deficiencies is a must. They just do not know what in God's name they are doing.

In my life with the disease, I have observed several types of friends. The friends who depart gradually, tip-toeing away from me. I call them in my memoir the "fill-in-the-gap" friends. We spend some time together. I listen to their problems more than they listen to mine, give support, and joke. I never see their friends. At some point I realize, I have been taken for a ride, but not to Starbucks. I am simply "laid off" as a friend. "Just not a good fit." This is how a business will word it. "There has been restructuring in the Friends Department."

There is another group of "Miss you" friends. They do not come to see you, or go out with you." We should get together soon!" Sounds sweet, can bring even tears. But the distance between our houses is a couple of hours. Maybe, there was a tornado, thunderstorms I slept through, raging fires, The Chesapeake Bay Bridge collapsed. Yes, that is it. "Soon" was stopped because of these unpreventable, natural events.

There is also a group of "direct offenders." They will explain with disgust how most of the "disabled people" they know are mean and needy. One cannot understand them. My advice will be: google their disease. If he is constantly ending up in your house, help him find his way home. He is lost today, you may be lost tomorrow. No one can understand you better, than the one who has already been lost.

BUT, in this world of hours, there are REAL FRIENDS. You do not need them every day, they may be busy with work, kids, grandkids, parents. I do not need to discuss anything with them. THEY KNOW.

I am fortunate to have real friends. The High School ones are very precious to me. After being in a medically induced coma, I spent time figuring out what my life was and what it is now. In the coma, the brain shuts off everything horrific in order to heal itself. The brain is smart!!! How do you live without knowing who you were? I was hungry to learn all that my friends remember. They remembered too much: I was good at math and English; I was a nerd, but had my life on the side; I was writing good love letters; I was paying close attention to what teachers were wearing -- old-fashioned clothes or stylish ones. Another one said I was smiling a lot. Not very easy-going, one said. Snappy and feisty on occasion.

While writing my memoir, everyone I knew plus some new schoolmates I got in contact with later, were getting 40-50 e-mails with questions. They never said, "I told you already." With patience, they described the same stories over and over again. Why, what, who, when, where were flying back to them. Some answers were totally irrelevant to my condition, but they answered because I asked.

When you love someone, you have a difficulty having a meaningful conversation. You stare at each other with a locked mouth. At least, this is what I think.

I went on vacation to Bulgaria. I met my friends for minutes. My timing was not planned well. The minutes were filled with kisses, touching faces, crying. I swallowed these seconds, they are in my throat even now.

I have lived long enough in U.S.A. to develop many friendships. But there are two I cherish the most. It does not matter how I met them. The connection between us is like between Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.

"Piglet sidled up Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered.

"Yes,Piglet?"

"Nothing,", said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

A.A.Milne

 

Blog Disclaimer:  All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. Some characters are fictitious or composite. The owner of this blog will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. Everything here is true, but it may not be entirely factual. In some cases I have compressed events; in others I have made two people into one. This terms and conditions are subject to change at anytime with or without notice.

FRIENDSHIP and DISEASE -- part 1

Picture courtesy of Ralitza Tchiorniy

                          FRIENDSHIP and DISEASE -- part 1

This blog post is about relationships with friends.  

Social media, or my favorite "Facial Book," a.k.a. Face Book has sucked out any intimacy out of communication with my friends. I can barely keep up with what the short answers to my questions mean. Does "Yes" in a text mean you are upset with me, or we are OK? I have to read the previous text. Should the answer "Let's talk about it!" mean talk about your "Yes" or your "No?" Does "Like" mean anything at all?

In the process of making friends (yes, it is a process,) I learned the rules of the social media and the new way of communication.

Living in a "foreign country" creates its conundrum of rules when creating friendships. What do you keep a secret, what is discussed in public -- I did not know. I came from a European  environment where "Hi! How are you doing?" was a signal to stop and talk about your life, your kids, everything important to you. The friend listens and does the same. After years of living in U.S.A., I realized that no one cares at this stage of the conversation about these details. S/he will be 3 blocks away from you, or 5 text messages away from you, until I finish my response. O.K., I got it. Now, I just say "Hi." I do not even bother to go into the 'what I am doing' part. If I am asked another question, then I know, "It is time for a more involved conversation."

Building a lasting friendship is never easy. It does not mean that the people in the group of two or more have to think alike -- they have to be able to function and understand each other; they need this invisible link, which attracts them constantly regardless of distance and time.

I always make baby steps in building a friendship. I am not the type to have hundreds and thousands of them. What would I do with so many? I will not have time to listen to their success stories, nor their problems. How can I encourage them? I will probably forget their names; I will not meet them daily. There will be no need to talk about "no wrinkles on my pictures" either.

By the way, I chose the giraffes' pictures by Ralitza Tchiorniy for several reasons: they are graceful and beautiful. This is how I see my real friends. We do not discuss our looks. I will always see them looking the way they looked the day I met them. Another part of the giraffes' looks -- they are the tallest living terrestrial animals, who have also the longest necks. When they fight, they smack each others necks. Isn't that what you would like to do sometimes with your friends? Very gently, a smack on the neck... Finally, they have big hearts to allow the blood to climb up the long neck. They fight but not to death. Some "necking" is good enough to determine the winner.  If one of them sees danger, s/he communicates to the other one, then both look in the same direction and protect each other.

Friendship assumed a totally different look when I got sick. I have a sickness for life. The friends changed faster, than me. In the second part, I will introduce you to them.


To be continued. ...

RECYCLING - A NEW CYCLE

Pic Courtesy of  L' Garage

Pic courtesy of De Garage

RECYCLING -- A NEW CYCLE

Recycling is really big in our house. When the county replaced the small  recycling bins with the new 32 gallon humongous containers, I was ready to jump into mine. The "giant" required a recycled mind -- the mind of a conscientious citizen, who knows his responsibilities and handles them in the name of his surrounding environment, his children's and grandchildren's nature.  

So, the following steps occurred. Instead of whining how huge the container is for a 2-people household, my Honda CRV was kicked outside of the garage. I felt no mercy. My husband's car had to squeeze her beautiful body to the right in the twin garage space... There is still enough space for a good driver to get in and out of it. I positioned the recycling bin in between the garages. If there is a winter storm, The Honda will be brought in [somehow] to stay warm. One has to think about all kind of natural disasters. I will not lie -- the space is tight. But consider the mission -- recycling. 

This new container brought back memories from many years ago. When I left Europe in the '90s, recycling did not exist. There were big trash containers, which collected the trash on an unknown to me schedule. As one can imagine, opening the lid and throwing the trash was not a type of house work any family member will aspire to do. We had a small bucket with a lid. My daughter was a little helper, a real "house bee." She did not fear to empty the trash. The aroma did not scare her. She will walk 3 floors down and do the work. She and I were interchangeably involved in this. 

One day, she did not come back as fast as usual. I went downstairs to look for her. What I found is hard to forget: half of her body was in the trash -- with one hand she was trying to get the bucket out, while the other hand was used to keep the lid from falling on top of her. She was not screaming, I was screaming. After I got her out of the trash place, I decided to finish what she started. I had to get the 'golden bucket' out. 

I was successful, but the two of us looked literally like trash. We showered fast. Until today, this story is ingrained in my mind.

One would think I have learned a lesson. Evidently, this did not happen. I saw the size of the new container and wondered how I would keep it clean (I am a cleaning freak.) Uhh... After the first recycling pick up, I tilted the big boy and nearly crawled in. It did not take much. I am 5'2". After its condition became pristine, it entered the garage.

Let's get serious on the subject of recycling. With this big container, my insatiable, compulsive desire to recycle multiplied. It is like with the bigger portion of food -- you eat more when you have more on the plate. With the bigger recycling container -- I recycle more. Respectively, I see less bags in the trash containers. 

I do my share in keeping nature clean, one piece of paper at a time. 

I live in a community where a curbside on-stream recycling is in effect. Paper, glass, cans, and plastic -- all goes in one container and travels to the recycling centers. It is easy, convenient, simple, fast, economically efficient, and, most importantly, it is all about sustainability of nature. 

The schools do their share, too. Students, parents, grandparents -- everyone is involved. There are competitions, educational programs, big Earth Day celebrations. 

This is what the recycling container does for me: my route from the kitchen to the recycling container in the garage is 80 steps both ways. The minute I generate an item for recycling, I deposit it where it should be -- in the recycling container. I do it at least 20 times a day. I can march, run, walk like a model, like a ballerina, like a bunny, with huge steps, baby steps, and old lady's steps. All of it does wonders for my aching bones. Sometimes, Tigerboy, my cat, will run with me. It is good for his handsome long body, too.

Recycling is a game for both of us. If I have grandchildren, I will teach them to do the same. They will be running with cereal boxes, pieces of junk mail, milk containers, paper cups, juice containers... The glass and metal will require walking, not running. Please, don't make me responsible if someone falls. 

Reducing what needs to go in the container [in the first place] is a matter of healthy living. I do not eat use plastic bottles, plastic plates, the newspapers go to a responsible grandpa in the neighborhood. He helps with his grandkids school recycling. 

I am left mostly with cans, produce packaging, some paper and beer bottles. I do my best to recycle and I feel it. I am saving trees, energy, creating jobs, building a new economy of recycled products, keeping the air and water cleaner, wildlife happier. 

I AM  A PART OF NATURE.

What I hate with a passion are the phone books and the gift wrapping paper. How many times have you looked in a phone book for your buddy Joe's phone number, or a plumber??? Why do we have to wrap the presents for any occasion until they choke to death? There are several layers of thin paper inside the gift bag, and then, there is the gift bag. My daughter and I are in the habit of regifting the bags to each other, or just plainly exchanging presents without any bags. 

I want to know what Santa brought me right away. Forget the bag! It is a waste of time. I want to know right away what I got. I am not a child.

The 'cake' goes to the ones who throw water bottles and other trash on the hiking trails. Here they are -- all looking beautiful on a several thousand dollars bike, with hundreds of dollars spent for proper shoes, jackets, total outfits, technology to measure speed, distance, pulse, incline level, calories, etc. Oh, I forgot the hundred dollar designer sun glasses.

I ask myself do you need a helmet if it covers no brain? 

According to DoSomething.org, organization for young people and social change, "Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic bottles every hour." There are 10 more reasons listed to make you think about recycling seriously and explore different campaigns for social change. 

RECYCLE, PEOPLE -- START A NEW CYCLE!!!!

Image courtesy リサイクル記号 〜によって petr kratochvil

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IN THE STIGMA WORLD OF SEIZURES

Caption courtesy of Frank Bryan

IN THE STIGMA WORLD OF SEIZURES

It has been a year since the e-face of my memoir "Seize the Seizures" popped up on Amazon. It is not a doctor's review of the disease; it is just my story -- a story of someone who got sick out of the blue from severe brain infection. The virus died, but it left me memories and a deep scar -- seizures and a lot more. Just like that -- today you are dancing the night away, tomorrow -- your brain is caught by a virus ready to do everything he is 'programmed' to do.

People do not like to read about diseases from non-doctors.  However, the parents of little children with 20 seizures a day have to share what their child and they face every day; the woman, who is divorced, has to find relief. Her children have to know why she does not see them often. She is not a bad mother; she is a sick mother suffering from a disease, which may be with her until her last day. 

If you are a celebrity, it may not be so bad to admit the disease you have. Everything can be used to get the attention on you. If you are a veteran, you have a chance to focus donations in the field of research for these diseases, which are not in the center of medical research. You can do something to change the future of medicine.

I wrote my small book with simple thoughts in mind - to make my family and friends understand what epilepsy is [in simple words]. Writing became my hobby. My daughter spent days editing it. There were many versions; she diligently worked on every one. The linguistics is not the strongest part of the book. What is strong is making the brain a new brain. It twisted and turned for nearly a year. 

In the end, there was a product, a book I love. I have included excerpts from Chapter 17.

17. IN THE STIGMA WORLD

My first office seizure is deeply ingrained in my psyche. I was on the carpet; the whole office had gathered around me. I was already "back." One woman asked if I had a grand mal seizure. Someone, who had seen seizures, answered affirmatively. Up until this point  I had merely talked about my disease -- now my undercover work with seizures was revealed.

I was not scared. The people present were. If I was able to talk, I would have sounded very apologetic. I did not mean to scare anyone. I would have reassured them "I will be fine. I just need to go home and take a long nap."

At this company, I chose the path of saying "I have seizures." It did not mean much to me, so I chose the road of saying it openly. If you have cancer, you go through chemotherapy and radiation; if you have epilepsy, you go through brain tests, plenty of seizures, medications, changes in medications, more tests, and more seizures. Normal stuff... Everyone gets sick.

It is normal to me; it became normal to my husband to get a call about a seizure and drive to pick me up. It is still not normal to the outside world. Unfortunately, the disease still carries stigma, misconception, discrimination, even disgust, if it appears right in front of your eyes. It is a condition that drives people away from you. I could not get my mind off of how I looked when the paramedics arrived one time. I felt small; I knew no matter what I do from that day on, everyone would remember this scene; no one would accept me for who I am.

One day, I fell on the stairs going from one office building to the other. The sidewalk was next to a major street. The vehicles had stopped waiting for the light to turn green. This was a three lane street. NOT a SINGLE person came to check on me. ALL of them witnessed the seizure. It was clear even to someone who had never seen a seizure that at the very least I needed help. I was not able to get up. Then slowly, with bruised knees, all pale, I made it to the next office building. I had a meeting scheduled. The world was not going to end if I did not show up in time for a meeting yet I plodded along to it, dutifully. Sad.

Julius Caesar, Alfred Nobel, Neil Young, Charles Dickens, and Lev Tolstoy also had seizures. Since ancient times In Mesopotamia, the seizure disorder was known and studied. 
.....................................................................................................

I still do not know if their talent stemmed from epilepsy or if they simply happened to have epilepsy. History books talk about people with epilepsy "being possessed," 'being chosen," men being burnt at the stake, women deprived of their ability to bear children.
.....................................................................................................

I believe I am hurt more by the PEOPLE, not by the disease. 
.....................................................................................................

The disease created some idiosyncrasies in my behavior, but they are now a part of me. I am either accepted with them or not accepted with them. This is a package deal.

.....................................................................................................

   

WASHINGTON, D.C. & THE KENILWORTH AQUATIC GARDEN

WASHINGTON, D.C. & THE KENILWORTH AQUATIC GARDEN 

My husband and I are some of those people who do not plan weekends. There have been so many events in my life which made me change a plan at the last minute. It maybe disastrous weather, unexpected disease, a broken car, cat's throwing himself in the suitcase trying to convince you to stay home. I worry about worrying.... I worry about planning.

Since we live close to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis, we try to visit places not included in most guide books. All visitors to Washington, D.C. go to the Smithsonian with its 19 museums. My favorite are African American History and Culture, The Air and Space, The National Gallery of Art (where I had my first date with my husband), U.S. Holocaust. 

Outside of the Smithsonian, everyone's favorites are The U.S. Capitol, The White House, The Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, George Washington, and MLK Monument.

You can visit D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival around the end of March (good luck pushing your way through the crowd!)

I have included a short guide of Washington, D.C. to give you a feel of the city without distracting you from the topic of my blog post.

Before we get to "my garden", take a look at the U.S. Botanical Garden, located on the Mall, right next to the Capitol. I chose this next video, because in 14 minutes you can learn, remember and tell others about it for year after year. You can spend a day there moving from one area to the next with a smile,  collecting answers to the questions you never had answers for before. 

Even if you leave with a tiny bit more knowledge about nature, you will have plenty of "Wow"-s; "Oh, I did not know this!"; "Seriously?" In your mind, you will be whispering, "How can I be so dumb?"; "I better bring my kids here!"

Now I am ready to show you a place rarely visited by tourists. It is The Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. It is located in the Anacostia Park (Northeast Washington, D.C.) This makes it difficult to get to, unless you travel by car. Do not trust the metro system, the garden is not close to metro. During the day, the area is safe, but you have to know where you are going.... You better drive to the big parking lot inside.

The park is operated daily by a good number of park rangers. There are benches scattered around for a little picnic. Surprisingly, for an area with ponds and wetlands, there are no mosquitoes. 

Birding is not my favorite, but many people enjoy it from the River Trail and the Boardwalk. The trails are very short and comfortable to accommodate disabled people. 

The Anacostia river, the ponds and the wetlands left me reconsider my lack of planning. 

Picture courtesy of G.C.

Lotus seed head

If I had planned this visit, I could have come in June or July to see a sea of water lilies and hundreds of lotus flowers. I still saw some water lilies, peeking heads above the thick cloth of green leaves.

We got close enough to the lotus guys below. Aren't they gorgeous? In some religions (Buddhist, Hindus,) they are a symbol of purity, innocence.

At the end, we caught a glimpse of a white heron. S/he was thinking of eating something for dinner. Well, it was dinner time. After we printed the picture, in the shadow, another one appeared. Both of them were totally oblivious to our presence. Dinner is more important. They are used to people.

Herons

This was our invigorating Sunday afternoon at the Kenilworth Aquatic Garden in Washington, D.C.

GO-ING, GOIN', GONE TO BULGARIA & BACK TO USA

GOING, GOIN', GONE TO BULGARIA & BACK 
TO USA 

Closing the chapter on a summer vacation is a tough thing to do. It is not because the sun will never shine brightly again. Fall is full of colors; winter is innocently white. 

Nature is pretty. If you take the time to look around, you will find screaming beauty. Even a family member, who never talks to you is beautiful. Maybe, you never told him he was beautiful. There must be a reason to become friends with someone on FB, too. Go back and remind yourself of this moment!

In my case, I am friends with Bulgaria. I am not referring to FB. I was born there. Even the customs officer knew it by looking at my first and middle name. My last name is American. My husband is American.

Let's start the story with Bulgaria. 

As far as my native country, I will be frank with you -- I do not read the Bulgarian newspapers, follow the news on Bulgarian TV, or attend any events bringing together the immigrants in USA. I have my reasons for it -- I try to stay away from what may create a misconception and reinforce some preconceived notions in my head. I want to keep my memories solely of the Nature and my people.

This time, just like before, my trip was not well planned, my health does not allow it. It never listens to me. 

After crossing the ocean, my husband and I made a stop in Vienna. The rest of my family lives there. 

It does not do justice to Bulgaria to be compared with one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Besides, the story is not about Vienna. Vienna is music, culture, art, architecture, coffee and pastries (excuse me, Schnitzel)... and much more. 

If I have to choose a city to live in Europe, it will be Vienna. 

I have a big part of my heart there. I do not have the German language down, but I have always been a good student. 

The Ferris Wheel ( my all times favorite)

Whether I like the name (expat), or a visitor, or a tourist, I am one of those. I was goin' to Bulgaria. 

Upon arrival there, I experienced something totally personal.  One can call it a 'reverse culture shock'.  I go so rarely, for such a short period of time, I have to draw my conclusions about the country from a 6 day visit. I just walk on the yellow pavers and think what I did 20 years ago. Were the pavers different, or I was different. I reminisce about everything and nothing specific. A bird can make me cry, the bird on the next tree may look the same, but it will make me smile. This 'reverse culture shock' goes farther and farther as reminiscencing over the past continues.

In the country you were born, feeling "gone" is not nostalgia,  It is a date with the surreal. Have you experienced a dream, which gives you a smile and tears? I have many of those. I open one of my eyes, look around and run back into my sleep.

At the beginning, going back to Bulgaria resembled that dream. We arrived late, went to the hotel and woke up early. I put on a white dress. I wanted to look beautiful for my morning meeting with Bulgaria. We had just a few hours before driving to the Black Sea. 

We always see The Bulgarian Orthodox Church first. It never sleeps. It always waits there for me; it smells the same; it feels the same. Every time we visit the country we end up with tons of pictures from it and paintings of it from unknown artists sitting at the market closeby. 

It was Sunday; everything was closed [but the churches] and the  currency exchange place. I could not go back to the dream. The Home of God and the currency exchange place woke me up. There were many tears, but I also got a picture in a white dress. That was it.

It was time to be with family, have some nice food and travel to the beach town. 

I wrote two blog posts from my vacation. "Tasty and Testy in Bulgaria" and "The Girl & the Rufa Fish." They are both to be found on colemanwriting.blogspot.com. Those two posts are among my favorite; What upset me, shocked me, made me smile and brought joy to my heart is in there.... 

As they say in the big books, this represents different stages of my 'reverse culture shock'. 

Years from now, I will laugh and frown upon what I wrote.  

When I was living in Bulgaria I was not a close friend with the breathtaking Bulgarian mountains. I was not a mountaineer. Maybe, I never had a good friend to take me to the mountains and introduce me to them. I had one, who made going to the mountains a sprint, not a slow pace enjoyment. I truly regret not finding a real friend for mountain hikes. 

Just look at the mountain pictures of a young Bulgarian photographer --  Maya. I missed on all this beauty.

It is never too late to go back and explore, hang out with the mountains.

I live in USA. My husband was born in Colorado. He is not simply American; he loves nature; he loves mountains; he works and teaches about nature. If asked what he can't live without, he will choose me, I know it, but I will be in the tree crown. This is an envious place to be, isn't it? 

Is there someone born in Colorado, who does not love mountains? If there is one, help him! If anyone who sees them and does not 'awe' at the view, help him!

I looked back at my family albums only to realize that I appear on every picture in the mountains. Next time, I will make sure there are more mountains without me.

Our time in Bulgaria ended after 6 days. We flew back to Vienna and, finally, to USA. Tired but exulted, we did a frantic car race to pic up our third member of the family - Tiger Boy. We all felt like we have not seen each other for years. "Where have you been? I wish we were all together."

This experience makes me wonder, "where is home?" Is it where I an born? Is it where I have a family and friends? Is it where I have a house? To me, there is only one answer. 

Home is where LOVE is. If one has not found LOVE yet, he should keep looking. It comes in all shapes and forms, any season, any place, any time. You may not be able to have a house, but in your heart you have more than enough space for LOVE. This is your "Stairway to Heaven"