Reflections of katlupe: October 2018

Tuesday, October 09, 2018

I Am Looking Forward To Fall and the Holidays

Beginning of fall colors in NY state

Fall is here. Holidays are coming. I am happy about both. Happy? More like excited. I can decorate. I can make a holiday for my friend, my son and I. Just like we used to have when he was younger. I used to go all out for Christmas all the years he was growing up. After his dad and I broke up, not so much. Now he lives a block away and we can celebrate holidays together again. Now living in an apartment building for seniors, I don't really expect to have trick or treaters for Halloween. But you never know, so I will at least buy a bag of candy, just in case. And then there is Thanksgiving! Which I am really looking forward to. I will write more about that is a future post.

Light and airy in my apartment

I am waiting for the fall colors to brighten up a bit and then I will take some good pictures to share the beautiful NY fall with my readers. As much as I loved the colors of the trees as they changed, in NY, it means cold weather is coming. Dark days and a lot of work in my previous house. I lived with wood stoves and an alternative energy system, which depended heavily on solar.....sun. Not easy at that time of the year. Being dark as early as five and sometimes earlier. Living here in my new apartment, this will not be a problem. I will have plenty of lighting and no wood stoves for heat. Snow removal is included in our rent here, so nothing I have to concern myself with.

The Parking Lot

The hardest thing, I believe I will have to deal with, will be walking with my rolling walker in the snow. I am guessing that my ramp and parking lot here will be completely plowed out to the surface. So it would not be a problem getting out of my building and to the parking lot. I have to believe the other parking lot behind the stores on Broad Street, will also be plowed out pretty good since it is a city parking lot. So hopefully, I will be able to use my walker all the way to the stores on Broad Street. Most of the time though, my friend will be driving me to the store. I would not take a chance on falling due to icy conditions.

Air Conditioner and Electric Heater

I will be exchanging air conditioning for heating. So I imagine my bills will remain the same. I have not done too bad on using air conditioning. I have it on all the time because I am always hot. So I like to keep my apartment cool and only turn it down when someone is here, who can't take it that cold. My maintenance man is going to put silicone on my windows when he takes out the air conditioner. I have not been able to open and close them myself. In winter, I would like to be able to open them at least a little bit. Need some air, even if it is cold.

Rabbit last year at the house keeping warm.

I am not too worried about being cold. My building is an old school building and built with brick. It will hold the heat well. I have a cedar chest full of afghans crocheted by my mother and these things keep you really warm. Plus I have heavy robes, nightgowns, sweaters and sweatshirts. Did I mention I am a hot person? Yes, usually I am too hot rather than too cold. The electric heaters are the baseboard type, so Rabbit can get as close as he wants. He seemed to like the wood stove in the winter time at my house. We are ready!

First sign of fall!

Monday, October 08, 2018

The Flame of Love

Love is like a fire, if you do not stoke the fire,

the flame will go out. It needs tending, as love

will die without it. If it is not addressed daily,

it disappears. Taking it for granted, without a word,

never mentioning the L word, will kill it for sure.

Feeling unloved and insignificant is the most lost

feeling ever, so pay attention or you will feel that

way instead…...just a matter of time.

“I love you” is not that hard to say, though for some,

it seems to be. Showing love with little silly gifts,

cards, surprises, rides, meals shared, messages, phone

calls, just whatever you think of. Gets those love juices

flowing, into your heart and mind. Feeling love from

another fills you with love for them. It makes you feel

energized, positive, happy and joyful. It makes you thrilled

to just hear their voice or see them at your door.

Falling in love, that excited feeling you get at first,

may tend to fade, but instead will deepen. Deepens as

you learn every detail about your loved one. Learn what they

like and think. Put them first and they will do the same

with you. Never, ever take them for granted or expect them to know

……..to know how you feel if you do not speak. Deep kisses speak

more than words, but words are needed as well. Just a piece of paper,

a note, a text message, with the words “I Love You” say more than

you will ever know.

Why is it so hard to keep your love alive? Why is it so hard to

say what you feel? After your love of your life has left, will you

speak then? It will be too late. One person will come along who

will speak those words. Will do those little things. They will

develop a lasting love that is strengthened by constant tending of

the flame of love. Strong vibes of love reaching the inner deep

spots of the heart. Fighting for love after it is gone is futile. There is

none left. It is gone on to another.

Another who is not afraid to show love.

Not afraid to say or write those magic words. Doing all those little

silly things, and some not so silly.

That is how love is.

Updated 2021

Monday, October 01, 2018

St. Andrew's Church and Cemetery

St. Andrew's Church and Cemetery, New Berlin, NY

Spending an afternoon in a cemetery? Now who in their right mind would want to do that? Well, me, for one. I love to spend a day in a cemetery. So one day in August, my friend took me for a ride and I never know where we will end up. It just so happened we were in New Berlin (NY) which is not that far from where I live. Yet I had never explored it before. This particular day we had lunch and then was driving up the street and we spotted this awesome church. Not only was the church beautiful, but the cemetery surrounding it was enormous. It was St. Andrew's Church and Cemetery on Main Street. As far as I could see, there were gravestones. I can't imagine how you would find someone you were looking for without some help from the office.

The small town of New Berlin is six miles from Norwich, NY, which is the county seat. It was formed from Norwich in 1807. The name was changed to Lancaster in 1820 and changed back the following the year to New Berlin. It is on the Unadilla River. The land this small town is built upon is rich in native American history. It is a pleasant town and most people drive through it on their way to another place. If you stop and browse a bit, you will find a historical treasure. The gem I found was St. Andrew's Church and Cemetery. It was the first Episcopal church in Chenango County, NY.

St. Andrew's was organized in 1814 by Reverend Daniel Nash, the first pastor. It was consecrated by Bishop Hobart in 1816. The original church building was torn down in 1847 and the church that stands today, was then built of stone in the Gothic style of architecture and was then consecrated by Reverend Andrew Hull. The cemetery is owned and cared for by St. Andrew's.

The day we were here was a beautiful summer day and we spent some time driving through the cemetery. The grounds were vast and covered in gravestones as far as I could see. There were many old graves with some that were difficult to read. And others that were old, but so well marked that were as easy to read as if they were put in recently.

I hope to go back there one day and take photos of some of the more unusual grave stones and monuments. They really are a work of art in some cases. The Victorian era, 1837-1901 was a time of elaborate tombstones and headstones and cemeteries evolved into a park like existence. Loved ones had started adding more to the headstones to leave a bit of information about the deceased. Some adding the sculptured designs which included their religious beliefs, their occupation, social class or other such notes. The Colonial era, was just the opposite fearing the afterlife.

This is one of my favorite ways to spend a nice day. Though most of the cemeteries I like to visit are ones that have my own ancestors buried in. Having worked on my family tree for more than a few years now, I like to go to their graves and visit them in person and take my own photos. I have not found any of my family members in this cemetery as of yet, but who knows what or who I may discover in the future?

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