Yearly Archives: 2020

The Second Hundred Years: Further Adventures with Dad

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The Season of Shameless Plugs (Day 2):
The sequel to Are You Taking Me Home Now?: Adventures with Dad is The Second Hundred Years: Further Adventures with Dad, published in March, 2020 – a couple months after Dad (Dee Molenaar) passed. Putting this book together gave me something to focus on while I was grieving the passing of Pop and trying to deal with the uncertainty of the new pandemic.

An excerpt –

“Can’t You Do Something About This?”
March 1, 2019

Dad is stretched out on his bed when I stop by, Skittles curled up next to him.
Dad: Karen! (He reaches out to hug me.) Are you stopping by on your way to see Mom?Karen: (I don’t know how to answer this. I decide to change tacks.) How are you?
Dad: What? What did you say?
Karen: How are you?
Dad: I’m bored. It’s boring waiting around for someone to take me home. Can’t you do something about this? You’re my daughter. Can’t you ask for my senior rights?
Karen: (My heart breaks. I rest my head on his chest and hug him.) Do you want to go for a drive?
Dad: YES! Where will we go?
Karen: How about I get you a root beer float?
Dad: Yeah. Let’s go to the little stand where we always go.

As we drive to the espresso stand…
Dad: I love seeing your face come into my room. I love when you take me on drives.
Karen: I love going on drives with you.
(We pull into the parking lot for the Sisters Espresso.)
Dad: Here’s where we get the root beer floats.
(I order a root beer float and a lavender iced tea from Courtney. While she’s making them I turn around and wave to Dad and he smiles and waves back. I bring him his float, and we continue on our drive.)

I drive to the post office and pick up the mail, and then back down Chuckanut, onto Thomas, onto Benson, and left on Josh Wilson. Dad’s head is turned to the window, watching as the scenery passes by. Neither one of us is talking. When we get back into Burlington, Dad asks me if I like living in Burlington. I’ve never lived in Burlington. Burlington is where HE lives. But…
Karen: Yeah!
(I drive the route back to his home and park in front of the door.)
Dad: Are we going to eat dinner here?
Karen: Yup.(I help him up the stairs and he makes his way to the recliner in the living room.)

Karen: I enjoyed our drive today. Thank you!
Dad: Thank YOU for taking me on the drive.
Karen: Peter is coming in a couple days and Dave is coming in a week.
Dad: (Nodding.) Good!
Karen: I love you, Daddy.
Dad: I love you!

Just Love, Love, Love

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Can’t reason with delusion; can’t reason with error
Can’t reason with illusion; can’t reason with terror
Just love, love, love
We’ve all of us been there; we’ve ALL been insane
This time it’s OUR turn to heal  someone ELSE’s pain
Just love, love, love
The battle’s already won – that’s the deal
No need to respond to a lie as if it’s real
Just love, love, love
Don’t respond with hate, or anger or fear
Give nothing for the rage to bounce off of –
‘cept a cushy wall of kindness and cheer
Just love, love, love
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

“And Love is reflected in love.”
-Mary Baker Eddy

You’re Still Here!

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Dear Republican friend –

You’re still here! Thank you for coming back! After our last discussion I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again! I’ve been blocked, unfriended and snoozed by a lot of friends in the last four years – and I get it and am not dissing anyone for doing that – my feelings aren’t hurt or anything – but it says a lot about your character that you’re still here.

Thank you.
Karen

Sunset over flooded fields in Skagit County, Washington State. Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell.



Just a Happy Old Bat

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I’m no one’s competition anymore –
and I’m so grateful I’ve moved past that.
Any youth and beauty I might have had before
brought me into a rivalry I was never good at.
Now I’m just a happy old bat!
-Karen Molenaar Terrell

“As the physical and material, the transient sense of beauty fades, the radiance of Spirit should dawn upon the enraptured sense with bright and imperishable glories.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

The Last Hymn I Sang to Moz

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This is the last hymn I sang to Moz before she passed. This song came into my thoughts, again, this morning when I learned two loved ones in my circle had passed. My love to their families and friends. ❤

(If you make it to the end you’ll see a cameo by the backyard birds.)

(Words to the hymn are by Anna L. Waring, 1823-1910.)

Message to My Friends on the Other Side

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I know I have friends who are feeling today what I was feeling four years ago. Devastated. Terrified of what the future holds. Sure that there must be some mistake. Wondering if it’s all a lie. Wondering if some miracle will change everything before the new president gets sworn in. I guess I just wanted you to know that I get it and I’m not going to judge you for whatever it is you’re feeling right now. And I’m not going to think less of you if you’re feeling scared.

I voted for Biden-Harris. I am relieved and happy they won. But I find I’m not even tempted to gloat about it.
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

“God bless the whole world – no exceptions.”

Everyone Blessed

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The sun doesn’t choose to rise
on some and not others.
Everyone’s blessed.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell

(Photos of the sun rising in Bow, Washington, this morning. Photos by Karen Molenaar Terrell.)

“He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
– Matthew 5:45

“Love is impartial and universal in its adaptations and bestowals.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

…Until Every Last Person is Free and Safe

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Van Jones’s words spoke to my heart this morning:
“Well, it’s easier to be a parent this morning. It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids character matters… telling the truth matters; being a good person matters. It’s easier for a lot of people. If you’re a Muslim in this country you don’t have to worry if the president doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant you don’t have to worry if the president is going to be happy to have babies stashed away or send Dreamers back for no reason… ‘I can’t breathe’ – you know, that wasn’t just George Floyd, that was a lot of people that felt they couldn’t breathe… and you’re going to the store and people who have been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier… and you spend so much of your life energy just trying to hold it together. And this is a big deal for us just to be able to get some peace…And the character of the country matters. And being a good man matters…”

I am feeling incredible relief this morning. But… I also recognize that we’re not done. There’s still a lot of work ahead for all of us – red and blue and green and polka dotted – to bring equity and progress and healing to our country. The path in front of us is not lined with roses and unicorns – and I am already emotionally exhausted from the LAST four years. But I guess we’ve all got to take a collective deep breath and gather our strength and march on. The battle’s not over until every last person on our planet is free and safe.
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…”
– Psalms 30: 11

“…rejoice that evil, by whatever figure presented, contradicts itself and has neither origin nor support in Truth and good. Seeing this, we should have faith to fight all claims of evil, because we know that they are worthless and unreal.”
– Mary Baker Eddy

The Tale of the Forgotten Carrots

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I am inordinately pleased with myself right now.

At the beginning of the summer I planted carrot seeds in a small planter box on my deck. I watched them sprout and grow and felt pretty good about myself and what had come from my seeds, but… then I kind of forgot about the carrots. Occasionally the dog would stick her snout in the planter box and go grazing and pull a carrot out for herself. Scott transplanted some of the sprouts to his garden when his own carrots weren’t doing so well – and my carrot seedlings did really well for him. But. Yeah. I got caught up in other things and, for the most part, the carrots just sat in their box of dirt. Patient. Waiting. Trusting.

And today I finally remembered them! I went out to the planter box and dug around and found a bunch of little carrots – still healthy and edible. I brought them inside, washed them off, and turned them into (drum roll) CARROT CAKE! (I used some apple sauce Scotty had made from his Gravensteins, too – we’re living off the land, baby!)
– Karen Molenaar Terrell

Love Help Us All

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God bless our country. God bless the whole world. No matter who wins this election we still have a long road of healing ahead of us. May God, Love, help us all – each and every Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, Black, Brown, White, polka dotted, atheist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, gun-toting, unarmed, flag-waving, anthem-kneeling, F and M and LGBTQ one of us.
Amen.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell