Jan Curran Events

I've lost my mother...

My wonderful mother passed away, peacefully, in her own bed, in her own home on Tuesday.

My family will all gather in Walla Walla, WA on Friday to bury her next to her true love, my Dad.

Mom would have been 96 in May, so had a long and full life, with lots of great joys and pride in her family.

I don't know how long I shall be in Seattle, have lots to do there to break up Mom's  home.

It is a very sad time, but I feel comfort in knowing my mother didn't suffer and died as she always wished  -- in her own bed, pain free... and she knew how much she was loved by her children, her grand children, her great grand children.

~ Jan

The news on Saturday...

Not much to tell you but thought I better post something because my daughter Linda often asks why do people have a blog if they don't write on there all the time?  She has new comments almost daily, son Lee surely does, Tod updates at least once a week, and here I sit not haven't put even a hello on since early in October.

Today is the official birthday party for my 13 year old grand daughter Emily.  I'll make the haul to Westlake Village to meet up with her Mom, Karen, who will drive me to the party site in Woodland Hills.  It's a cool day here in Ventura, only about 58 now, but it will be close to 91 in Woodland Hills, so thankfully, the party is indoors.  The party gives me a chance to see all three of my grandkids, plus both daughters, one daughter in law and two son in laws -- will be fun if I don't take a fast fade before it all ends. It takes place at the Topanga Mall, an enormous mall, even by LA standards --- will my arthritic spine give me a break and make walking easy?  Think positive. I hate to come across as some shuffling little old lady.

Sorry to say my 95 year old  Mother is not doing well. Not in any pain or suffering, just her body shutting down, she so very frail.  Will see what my doctor says on the 26th about me going up to Seattle to see her again. I'm so grateful for that month I had with her recently and although I know she has loving caregivers and good people around her now, I wish I was there with her, too. We were talking on the phone all the time, but in recent days she has more or less retreated in to herself and when I talk to her on the phone she doesn't respond. The caregiver tells me she sits and smiles listening to my voice. Why isn't she talking? No one has given me an answer. Maybe she had a little stroke that is not evident or something.  I wish she would talk to me.

Tooth time again. Horrors, I discovered a tooth starting to wobble and rushed to the dentist. This is not any of the teeth that had the extensive work last spring and summer - - this is a new area, but the same basic problem - bone loss. I will lose the tooth but am going to hang in as long as I can cus don't like the idea of facing having an expensive bridge made or the extraction, either. I told the dentist we'll wait until I meet and marry some very rich old goat. Better I should marry a dentist.

I got invited to a big Halloween gala in Palm Springs for the 31st and as much as I would love to get a few days of dry desert heat and see all my friends, I'm not going to make that long drive.  Maybe in November. Will see -- feel I'm rather on stand by with my Mom in her condition. 

Do have plans for the 23rd. My daughters have a book signing at the Borders in Westwood if you are in the neighborhood .7 p.m.  I'll drive as far as Calabasas and then go the rest of the way with son Lee cus when it comes to LA traffic and finding my way around, I really feel like a small town girl, scared of the idea, even.  Son Tod is coming from the desert ,so really eager for the date. Haven't seen him in months.

Other than that -- not read any book I can report on here... have some stacked up ready for my attention so stay tuned.  Have enjoyed my Friday nights because KOCE out of Orange County has the BBC shows on every Friday and I am glued to my set laughing and loving every show.  Wow, has my life ever changed when my social life is a t.v. show?????????  I need to get out and meet people, have plans, do things.  And that is just what I'm going to do right now, get dressed and head out of here for the family gathering and birthday party.

 

Catching Up..

Another way to be in contact..

I spent last Sunday at my son Lee's ( Leegoldberg.com)-- a BBQ, time to sit by the pool, and then time for laughs and fun watching Lee put me on facebook.com........ He'd just joined the day before, thought it would be a good thing for me, too. 

When son Tod Goldberg learned I was on facebook he wrote on his blog that the internet is now dead. Ah, come on, Tod, loosen up!  He said the same after teaching me how to use AOL and how to do a blog.

Do you want to be on facebook as one of my friends?  It's kinda fun and Maria in England has already  joined, as has my friend Ann Shields in Ventura and those two guys , Lee and Tod, did, too.  My brother Burl joined, my cousin Mike... so why not you?

Other news...

Nice news from my friend Betsy in Spokane, writing that she is doing well after radiation and surgery and to congratulate herself on surviving the year, she went out and bought a snazzy sports car.  If I did that to celebrate my year, my kids would have me newly installed in some psychiatric ward.

Son Tod is running a contest on his blog where you write him about your first kiss. Go give it a try at todgoldberg.com... the prize is a copy of a newspaper with a short story by Tod, so guess you have to be a fan of his writing to consider this contest.

Daughters Karen and Linda are getting great feedback on their new book, "Journal Revolution" on Amazon.com. Go add your two cents worth.

Me? Editing through my manuscript ,printing out pages, hoping to finish that chore off this week and get it out in the mail to my agent buddy for his feedback.  Any one have a good idea for a title on a book about how a woman recovering from a lost love, and Cancer moves in to an active senior residence only to discover every one is 15 to 20 years older than she is -- how she adapts, how she survives, how she is still living there today writing this blog entry.

I'm sick of reading about Britney, aren't you? TMZ.com even photographs her car making a left hand turn and what does that say about the media and the level of boredom?

I'm loving the new season of " Boston Legal" and had a good laugh when my son Lee thought that the Nancy Grace spoof on there was the real Grace person.  The actor is a dead ringer. Did you watch, did you love it, too?

Heading out..

Today, I'm putting on white slacks even though it is past Labor Day.  Listen, when the temperatures are 80 or better, white is still in, in my closet, anyway.  And, I'm paying a return visit to the Ventura Harbor and that French Cafe.  Taking my friend , the writer Ann Shields, out for her birthday lunch and lots of gossip and maybe we'll take photographs again.  We both always carry a camera. That's not all we have in common.. we both attended the SBWC for years, and we both are survivors of major Lupus attacks. We've been friends since the late 70's. That's a nice history.

On that note, I'm ending this and going to go read some really fun blogs -- my kids.

Oh, almost forgot -- Mom is doing fine so I'm not heading to Seattle this month. Settling for daily phone calls instead. Not the same as being together, but a choice my doctor favors.

~ Jan