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| Augie at graduation...long hair and casual jacket |
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| Augie at 14 staring out at the ocean wishing he was a whale to swim free |
The new beginnings I hope are for me and my new "single" but still married life. Some know that Lynn and I are separated...because he has gone over to the other side in his mental health issues and we can't live together any longer. My safety would be in jeopardy. Lynn is living in a Board & Care facility in Folsom, CA (no not Folsom Prison, a real Board & Care home) where he is cared for 24/7 and he's finally settled into the place, has accepted what he has done and seems to be happy where he is right now. It was a tough six months, but finally everything has fallen into place. I now live alone, except my two grandsons are living with me right now. Augie, 22 and my oldest grandchild, is a free spirit and is set to roam this earth until he finds his place to settle. Next week he's moving to the Bay Area to live with his Uncle Patrick, look for a means to make money and experience the big city of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh to be 22 again...I lived in SF when I was 18, going to Healds Business College, working for Pac Bell, now ATT and dating military guys home on leave from Viet Nam...crazy time...lots of music in the park, smoking in the park...SF was great.
What I've learned from having Augie live with me.....don't sweat the small stuff or even the big stuff. So what if you don't score high when bowling, so what if something doesn't get done when you wanted to do it...enjoy your life and it will all get done when it gets done. Thank you Augie!
Now my other grandson, Jack...he's another character...he's 16, works full time for a teaching mechanic here in town earning his mechanic certificate and is finishing high school courses on line. He's living with me because his Dad, my daughters ex-husband, became very ill and is still after six months living in a care facility/Kaiser hospital. Jack & Augie lived with their Dad, but when he became ill and it has ended up to be a long term illness, he had to give up his home and the boys were displaced until Mom can find a larger house for the boys to live with her and her new hubby/step-daughter. It's complicated!!! Jack is the opposite of Augie is every way possible, except that they both have the same Mom & Dad. The only thing they both agree/like is old cars...specifically old Mercedes Benz...they buy, fix and sell at an alarming rate and they intend to make money at doing it and they are. One of these days Jack will probably have his own service garage...he already owns about five old Mercedes and he's got the drive and the way to make this all work...at 16 years old!!!!
What I've learned from having Jack live with me....focus and drive! Sometimes I sway off course and I loose focus on my desire to create fantastic art...I have the drive, but I sometimes loose the focus...and Jack has taught me to eat, sleep and dream about what you want for your future...thank you Jack!!!!
Eventually both boys will be on their way into their own lives and I'll be back to living alone again...but this time, it's okay because of what they taught me and what I want out of the rest of my life.
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| Jack and the two drums he made at age 14. |
