Recipe for a Rainbow

 

Saturday, June 16, 2012 – Recipe for a Rainbow

I just discovered how simple it is to make a rainbow – take sunlight, then add water. While I was out watering the grass and flowers a few minutes ago, standing in the sunshine, thinking about what a splendid day it was, I found beautiful rainbows popping into view.  I did a little experimentation and realized that the rainbows appeared only when the sun was in back of me.  Wow!  So simple, but awesome, too.  I obviously don’t remember much of the science I learned in school.  But I did remember that there’s a Jewish prayer to say upon seeing a rainbow.  I couldn’t recall the Hebrew words, so I made up my own prayer, in English, to fit the moment.   So often we fail to notice these wonders, these gifts that are right in front of our eyes. 

And just a few minutes after I got back into the house, our neighbor, Mike, rang the door bell.  He was bearing a plate piled high with freshly made beignets.  Mike is an excellent chef (he specializes in desserts), and he was offering as many as I wanted.  I thought a few seconds, and took only two.  Elliott will enjoy both of these delectable treats with a cup of coffee.  And I will enjoy knowing that my willpower to resist the evil twins (Sugar and White Flour) is strengthening.

We accomplished a lot even before lunchtime today.  By nine a.m., I’d gone to the Fairfax City Farmers’ Market, and we’d driven out to Fair Oaks Mall to buy a new toaster oven at Macy’s.  We finished up the morning with a workout at Lifetime.  I picked some fresh mint from the garden to add to a chopped salad for lunch.  Now I’m sipping iced tea and looking forward to a fairly quiet afternoon close to home.  There will be time to work on a new design for tomorrow’s fused glass workshop and to practice chanting my next Torah portion. 

By the way, all that crazy medical stuff going on at the beginning of the week is under control.  I think my body was sending me a message to slow down.  But I had a lot to do during the past week related to my mother’s move to assisted living.  After considering all the options, I got her a cell phone and that makes it much easier to keep track of everything.  I'm grateful that she’s very content in Renaissance Gardens, and she’s participating in a wide range of activities there.  Reflecting on the transition, I think the experience was harder for me than for her.  Although the rational side of me knew that it was time for her to make the move to assisted living, the emotional side was torn apart.  It’s hard to accept that I’m losing her, a tiny bit at a time, to the dementia.  And I know it will get worse, that we’re just somewhere in the middle of a long, long process.