Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. Do you wonder what was happening in this photo? Well we weren't playing a game per se, instead, this was a physical therapy session. However, in true Mattie fashion, he wanted me to participate. When Mattie was a toddler and was working with an occupational therapist for sensory motor issues, I learned right away, that if we wanted Mattie to comply with activities, that I had to do them too. Therefore, when Mattie was diagnosed with cancer, and needed physical therapy, I intuitively knew that I had step in and join him. So right in the middle of the hospital hallway, Mattie and I were playing a therapeutic version of the game Twister. 


Quote of the day: Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on. ~ Samuel Butler

Today we went to a museum that was about 45 minutes away from where my parents live. The museum is situated in such a beautiful and peaceful location, nestled up in the hills. With all the rain LA has been getting, the hills are lush and green. Notice though I am wearing a coat. This morning it was in the 40s!

The museum is not far from Camp Pendleton, a marine base in Southern California. We got to see a fly over.

My dad and me. While at the museum, we had the opportunity to chat with some lovely people. We met a delightful couple from Idaho and got to learn a little bit about their state and family. 

Meanwhile when we got back to the hotel this evening, we heard music coming from outside. We looked out our window and saw this! We literally watched an entire orthodox Jewish wedding from our window. At one point, a wedding guest was even waving at me!

Literally there had to be about 500 chairs set up for this wedding. However, I would say most of the chairs were unoccupied. 

The bride was escorted in by two young women. I really wish I understood what I was watching because I did not get the significance of these women. Since it appeared that the bride's parents and grandparents were sitting under the canopy, where the ceremony took place. 

Mind you as the bride was walking in, no one seemed to be paying attention to her. The men in attendance all were located together on the right hand side of the aisle and the women on the left hand side. The men were standing in groups, talking to each other, on their phones, and appeared disengaged from what was happening. 

Close up of the bride, who was veiled throughout the entire ceremony. So I looked up the significance of the veil and found.......The veil is representative of the idea of modesty and points to the idea that the groom is not only interested in the bride’s external beauty, which fades, but more so in her internal beauty, which she will never lose. However attractive physical appearances may be, the central focus in Judaism is the soul and character of an individual.

Once the bride got under the canopy, she and everyone else with her seemed to be walking in circles. Not just once but MANY times. I couldn't get it! So again, I went to Google and learned......At an Asheknazi wedding, once the bride and groom are under the chuppah (canopy), the bride proceeds to circle around the groom seven times. Just as God created the world in seven days, the bride is creating the couple’s new world, figuratively building an environment of completion and wholeness that the couple can only attain together. One interpretation holds that the bride is creating the “walls” of the couple’s new home, fashioning a fortress that will spiritually protect her husband and family. 



Meanwhile back to the MOLD front. We went to my parent's house today and the more I see and smell, the more concerned I get. Thanks to HGTV, of which I am a BIG fan, I have learned from the Property Brothers the challenges of mold. I have watched enough HGTV shows to know that remediation of mold differs by the number of square feet affected by mold. An area impacted by moisture that is 10 square feet isn't as complicated and can be managed by a contractor. However, once you get into a larger space (100 square feet or more) that is affected, then properly trained and equipped mold remediation workers should conduct the remediation. So I went on-line tonight and found the guidelines developed the the NY Department of Health, and are followed throughout the United States (https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/epi-mold-guidelines.pdf). Needless to say, being armed with information is helpful, because we are better able to direct the management of the problem. 

Right now two rooms in my parent's home are completed sealed off by plastic and duct tape, dehumidifiers are going 24 hours a day, and the smell is so intense as soon as you walk through the front door. I imagine the toxic smell is coming from the chemicals used to kill the mold. But given what I am seeing and smelling, I refuse to let any of us stay in the house for more than five minutes to assess each day's progress. Another full day!