Category: life

Posted in 2025, family, life

Merry Christmas!

Posted on by nancyb422
My sweet mini Christmas tree and the morning sunrise

Christmas Day, re-birth, a new beginning. Like a precursor to the new year. I’ll spend the week, contemplating the past year and the year ahead.

My husband and I have opened our presents, all purchased by me this past Saturday. Various candies we enjoy, a book, puzzle, and gift cards. Gone are the days of agonizing over what to buy because we spent so little on ourselves through the year, it felt like we “needed” everything. Now, we need nothing, want nothing.

Stockings ready to open

Our son and daughter-in-love will come over mid-morning for a late breakfast and to exchange presents. I’m grateful they live a few miles away, and more grateful that they want to be with us in the morning.

After they leave, I’ll break open my new puzzle – White Mountain brand, Saturday Cartoons – and we’ll watch Arthur Christmas, which was recommended on my “Ordinary and Happy” December 25th Daily Planner. I was not successful completing any of the suggested items but Today is always a great day to start.

I hope your day is a blessed one where ever and how ever you spend it.

Posted in 2025, life

Another Tuesday Funeral

Posted on by nancyb422

Yesterday, like last Tuesday, I went to a funeral. This was a much different one. This man was 17 days shy of his 89th birthday when he passed away, and he was surrounded by family who loved him and caregivers who had grown to love him over the time they’ve been with him and his wife in their home.

He was my sister’s father-in-law, and because my sister and her husband started dating in high school, fifty years ago, we have all known each other a very long time. The family has always included my family and me as part of their family.

His name was Marty, but he was also known as Lefty, and with the seven grandchildren, he was Pop. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 (he lied and said he was 18), met his future wife, married, and had three children. He was an embalmer for the family funeral home, owned a gas station at one point, and eventually settled on owning a boarding kennel in 1975, shortly after my sister and her husband started dating.

We would spend Sundays at the pool on the kennel property during summers in college, and again when our son was young. He would walk up from the house or the kennel to see what was going on. Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day were spent there with him and his wife, their kids, and grandkids. My dad was always included in the picnics and Sunday afternoons.

In the winter, they lived in Florida, and for the summer, they traveled to Connecticut. Several years ago, they started slowing down, so the condo was sold, and they moved north full-time.

Over the past few months, he declined quickly, and he passed away on Wednesday, December 10th.

There were calling hours and a service at the family funeral home where he worked, and he was interred with military honors at the cemetery in the family plot. His son-in-law and two granddaughters gave eulogies, and as they spoke, I remembered the man he was. He always had a smile on his face, was quick with a joke, loved to push people in the pool, and was happy to talk to you. He lived a long and full life. ❤️

Posted in 2025, life

Death and the Holidays

Posted on by nancyb422

I started this to talk about funerals and I still might but I know have to ask first, What is it about the holidays and death?

I attended a funeral last Tuesday for a former classmate. His death was not unexpected, it was just a matter of when because of life choices.

Wednesday evening, while at our group Christmas dinner and cookie swap, my sister received a phone call from her husband, that his father passed away. This was also not unexpected due to health issues and age. The service will be Tuesday.

Friday, while scrolling through Facebook, an obituary popped up for an elderly woman whom our company completed many remodeling projects for her and her daughter’s family. The wake is today.

All 2 to 3 weeks before Christmas. It feels so cruel, or is it so they will never be forgotten? My mother died two weeks before Easter when I was turning 27. My father died 23 years later on Palm Sunday and we buried him the day before Good Friday. Something I’ve never forgotten.

Now about funerals. A lot of people will only go to the wake but not the funeral. Even if the church is a straight mile down the road. Me? I attend the funeral. I see it as helping to send them home. I realize their soul has already departed, and maybe it’s more for me than for them. But I find comfort in the service.

What are your thoughts on death during the holidays and funerals?

Posted in 2025, life

Stories Of My Life

Posted on by nancyb422

Two years ago(!), my son and daughter-in-law gave me a StoryWorth subscription for Christmas. I have a total of 47 stories, but 11 of them I haven’t started yet! I might remove a few of them, though. I have a long way to go until completion.

Right now, I’m taking each story, editing it, and adding new information and pictures. Once the story is done, I add the name to a list, and I swear I will not go back and make any more changes.

I think it will be interesting to have all these stories in one place. I would like to do the same thing for the blog posts I’ve written at It’s All About Family. I think it would be nice to have all those stories in one place, categorized by family. Another project to work on!

Have you written your StoryWorth life story? How long did it take you?

Posted in 2025, life

Letting Go

Posted on by nancyb422

I currently have 197 open tabs on my IPhone. I feel like that says something about me. Will I miss one of it’s gone? Will I even notice?

My IPad and laptop are not that bad. By the way, my IPad and phone are not synced. Not since I had a faulty password app and nearly lost ALL my passwords.

Anyway, my life has always been a little like that too. Keep stuff gathered around so I don’t forget them. Projects, papers, files…

If I put it away, if I close the tab, I might want it later and won’t be able to find it again. Sort of like that jacket you never wear so you give it to Goodwill and then you buy a pair of pants and realize the jacket would have been perfect for it!

Maybe December is the time to close those tabs, put those files and papers away and make a note of where they are. It’s time to tidy up for the new year.

Posted in 2025, Holidays, life

Holiday Decorating

Posted on by nancyb422

We put our Christmas tree up this weekend and I enjoyed decorating it this year. Probably because I don’t plan on doing much else!

My tree at this moment

The tree is in the middle of the combined family room dining room, in front of the sliding door. At the top is the macaroni star our son made in daycare. I know I should replace it, but I haven’t found anything I like better. There are a variety of ornaments – from my parents collection that my sister divided up, ornaments handmade from one of my aunts, handmade by me for our son, and ornaments we’ve been purchasing in our trips. It’s a nice variety.

Mom’s collection
Made by aunt
Made by aunt
Made by me for son and nieces and nephew
Made by me for everyone in school colors
Made by me one for their home state and other significant state
Back of the ornaments
Made by me
Made by me

For the past few years, I also decorated a small 5 foot tree in the “formal” living room which used to be my only living room. I would put Wallace Silversmith silver plated balls on this tree and it had the option for white lights, colored lights, or blinking lights. I like the colored ones the best and I loved the way they shined off the silver balls. This year I’m just too lazy! It’s a chore to pack and unpack the silver plated ornaments.

The silver bells
The 2nd tree
When my “formal” living room was my only living room!

I still have to finish adding my son’s collection of nutcrackers that remained here, and my collection of Santa’s from over the years. My family part is on the 13th so I still have time!

Are YOU done with your decorating?

Posted in 2025, Healthy Living, life

Goals Are Good…

Posted on by nancyb422

Unless you are obsessive like I can be about things like goals.

I downloaded an app called Streak because it was recommended by a (real life) friend whom I admire. I decided to try it because I want to focus on keeping myself mentally and physically active.

With Streak, you create goals and select how often they need to be completed. Multiple times a day, every day, a few times a week, and so on.

My goals were 5 20 oz water a day, 7,000 steps a day, write blog post every day, take vitamins every day, leave for the office by 9am, and post a picture to Facebook every day. Some are simple like the water and vitamins, and the Facebook post. Getting my steps in is a little more difficult because I work in a very small office. I incorporated walking around our complex during my lunchtime for a half hour. However, I still have to get additional steps in during the day to hit that 7,000. Leaving for work by 9 is a struggle! Writing every day is a struggle!

After a week, I changed the office time to getting there by 9:30, because honestly, I like my morning time at home and, since I’m the boss, I guess it’s ok to set my own hours. I changed the writing to 3 times a week because I needed time to research and write for my family blog.

I guess that represents growth within me that instead of saying “this isn’t going to work!”, I make some simple adjustments.

Here’s to continuing my Streak!

Posted in 2025, Healthy Living, life

Give Blood

Posted on by nancyb422

On Wednesday, I attempted to give blood for the first time in over 20 years.

I was a regular when I lived in California because Sonoma County had a “blood bank”. I could make an appointment during my lunch hour, pop in, give blood, and head back to the office. Unfortunately, Connecticut doesn’t have that. Donations are through blood drives.

After moving to Connecticut, the first or second time I went to give blood, I was rejected (deferred they say) because my hemoglobin was low. I never tried again.

My sister and a friend give blood on a regular basis so I thought I’d give it another shot.

I was signed up and ready to go, headed to the app and answered all the health questions (about 56 of them!).

My sister coached me on how to pass the hemoglobin test. Get “hot hands” and wear mittens. Bring the hot hands in with you while waiting. I googled the reasons and evidently cold hands slow circulation and slow circulation give an artificially low reading. In the past, they would prick your thumb to test your blood, but now there is a machine with a sensor that goes around your thumb and can measure the hemoglobin level.

I tried, I really tried! I had a Hot Hands but didn’t know about the mittens. I could sense the tips of my thumbs were not warm but I hoped I would make it. The minimum Hb level is 12. My right thumb was an 11.7. The technician said, “let’s try the left”. Unfortunately, the left was only 9.8.

As I left the table, I told the man at the check in that I was rejected. He said, “not rejected, deferred”.

I’ve read up on giving blood and how to prepare for it – warm hands, red meat and green leafy vegetables, avoid coffee, get a good night’s sleep – so I look for the another local blood drive, sign up, and buy Hot Hands!

Do you give blood on a regular basis?

Posted in 2025, family, life

Veterans In My Family

Posted on by nancyb422

In honor of Veterans Day, I’m sharing the story I wrote in June of 2024 for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge on my family blog. It’s called, The Effects of War. There are links within “The Effects of War” that share the details of their time served.

Beginning with World War I, there was my biological maternal grandfather, Jacob Engram and my paternal grandfather, Charles Jakiela.

My Great Uncle Bronislaw Liro went back to Poland before World War I broke out, fought for the Austrian Army, was captured, and escaped from Siberia.

World War II saw my Uncle Connie and my dad enlist in the Army Air Force and my Uncle Walt and Uncle Mal in the Navy. My Uncle Walt lived through the horror of Pearl Harbor 3 weeks fresh out of Navy radio school.

While cleaning out my aunt’s home, I found a letter from my Great Uncle Antoni written in 1947 describing the aftermath of World War II.

My father in law Harold served in the Korean War as a cook, his brother Ronald as an infantry tank driver, and my step father in law Paul was in the motor pool.

It’s an honor to have these brave men in my family.