Cripple Creek Ice Castles

 

Song:  Aniron

Artist:  Enya

I had purchased the tickets for the Cripple Creek Ice Castles

last month for my guests and I to enjoy.

Cripple Creek is the town which is but 7 miles from my home.

This year...

Cripple Creek once again hosted the Ice Castles event as the temperatures 

favor the construction and maintenance of the Ice Castles through its month or so run.

The temperature was about 12 Degrees F ( - 11 C )...

but there was little wind...

and so...

it was a perfect night to see the Ice Castles.

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I know it may seem out of place to be going out so shortly after my mother's death...

but, then again...

my sisters and I have been given years to prepare ourselves for this event.

I had
always stressed to my mother...

and to my readers of my blogs...

as well as to my readers of my novels...

that to always try to make win win scenarios in life.

And...

most importantly...

to grieve...yes...

but to grieve and then only have the good memories to remind you of them.

Again...

I have been preparing for this event for years.

It is also what makes time spent with your loved ones all the more precious...

the knowledge that death awaits us all...

and so...

to not waste opportunities to have precious moments with them.

That is why I tried to fill my mother's life with magical times.

The important time to think of them is when they are still alive...

and to experience good times with them...

so they may enjoy those times with you.

Time marches relentlessly on for us all.

I will remember my mother in our good times together...fondly...

but I will not allow sadness to erase the good memories of the past...

but I will allow it to flavor my future experiences...

as I see her in the movie of the mind...

smiling and laughing.

She had the eyes of a child...

always looking at life with wonder...

and becoming excited with new experiences.

My recommendation to all with loved ones...

do not waste time...

but go out and experience life with them.

See new places...

see movies together...

eat great food...

and most of all...

laugh freely.

Do these things...

and then when the inevitable happens...

you will not be paralyzed with guilt or sadness.

Allow their memories to conjure themselves before you as you enjoy life...

in the movie of your mind...

and they will be there with you...

 looking about in wonder...

their eyes filled with glee...

and their laughter accompanying you as you continue to live life.

Only had you waited until too late...

to say what should have been said...

to do what should have been done...

would you be haunted by what should have been.

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The Ice Castles is an extraordinary display...

and a must see in winter.

I am fortunate to have it just 15 minutes away from my home.

I have always deeply loved colors and chilly weather.

This had both...

plus beautiful music playing throughout the Ice Castles.

I felt very serene there.

I could step outside myself...

and it was just what I needed.

It was cathartic...

as I only felt the beauty and serenity of the moment.

In the chill of the air...

while being surrounded by such beautiful colors and music...

my heart felt free.

I just let the beauty of the moment carry me away.

I loved it there.

The colors of the ice would slowly change from one deep color to the next...nonstop.

Below are pictures from the Cripple Creek Ice Castles:

We are on the way down the hill upon which the Ice Castles were built.

Just down the hill was one of the parking lots for the Ice Castles event.

We loaded up and headed home...

feeling greatly satisfied.

Ice Castles is a tremendous attraction.

It is a must see if you are near one of the four Ice Castles attractions in the US during winter.

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These were photos one of my guests had taken of me.

--------------

Tomorrow we will attempt Pikes Peak once more.

After that...

we will go, once again, to eat sushi.

Japanese food is our overall favorite.

On the following day...

my guests will be departing.

Masae Toller: Feb 2 1939 - Jan 10 2025

  

Song:  Melody For A New Dawn

Artist:  Yuki Saori

(This is a repost from my other blog:  Aging And Living Well)

My mother passed away on January 10 2025.

She was born on February 2 1939 in Chamus, Manchuria

(During the Japanese Occupation - she was 100% Japanese).

I had last seen her in the middle of September 2024...

just before departing to my new home in Colorado.

I knew when I left, that in all likelihood...

 it would be my final goodbye to her.

She had suffered from dementia for many years...

and I had seen her degrade in mental and physical capabilities over the years.

However...

those last years were precious to her...

as I took care of her by cooking for her and taking her places

once she moved to Reno, Nevada in 2015. where I lived.

Before that...

my younger sister looked after her at her home in San Jose, California...

and my elder sister also stopped in to care for her as well...

as both lived in the immediate area.

(my father died in March of 2011).

Once my mother moved up to my neighborhood in Reno, Nevada...

I went to her home and cooked supper for her and made leftovers for the next day.

However...

as she continued to degrade...

I saw the necessity to move in with her to care for her on a permanent basis.

During this time...

I continued to get her to exercise, eat a healthful diet...

and to engage in beautiful experiences so as to enjoy life.

Of course...

I had researched as much as I could about her condition.

I knew the basic timeline associated with her affliction...

and of the symptoms which would present themselves along the way.

A little while later...

after my sisters retired...

they moved to Reno, Nevada

to share in my mother's caring.

This made my mother happy...

as she had her family near her.

My elder sister's husband, James...

was also a big help in caring for my mother.

She knew him as "walking man" as he was the one who helped her walk around

their home and when we transferred her to the car from her home.

We would ultimately care for my mother in each of their respective homes...

as to stimulate her mind and to give each of us well needed breaks...

as she required almost constant attention to ensure her safety.

As my sisters and I were retired...

we could be there for her in her time of need.

My mother's final years were filled with happiness...

and except for the near end...

she often laughed and enjoyed food.

By the time I left almost four months ago...

my mother did not recognize me.

As I kissed her forehead just before departing to Colorado...

I saw she felt a little embarrassed and confused...

as if to inwardly wonder why a stranger had kissed her.

I was at home in Colorado when my sisters contacted me that my mother

seemed to be shutting down.

We all knew that it was near the end.

As it was snowing throughout the over thousand miles I would have had to have driven...

it would have been too dangerous for me to drive that distance.

And so...

my sisters arranged for hospice to visit to ensure she was kept hydrated

and comfortable as she continued to shut down.

Just a few days after...

my mother had passed peacefully in my elder sister's bed.

Both of my sisters were in attendance...

and for several days until the final moment...

my sisters read to her and played soft music for her to listen to.

It was actually a serene and merciful death for her.

Near the end...

she was comfortable and surrounded with love.

She was neither scared...

nor was she in pain.

Some of the music my sisters played for my mother as she rested in bed...

was the music of Yuki Saori.

This was one of my mother's favorite music in the late 1960s...

and she often played her albums at home.

---------------

As for me...

I have had many years of knowing the eventual end.

My sisters and I have been slowly grieving all this time.

It was especially sad to see her go through phases of confusion...

of not recognizing us at times...and of it becoming more and more frequent.

During the last couple of years...

she would mostly be operating at a toddler age...

and then at the stage of an infant.

So...

in essence...

we had not only lost a mother...

but that of a daughter.

I am only glad that we had the chance to care for her

throughout her transition.

She never felt alone or scared during her last ten years of her life...

especially as her mental state declined.

I know that not all are in the position in life to do 

what my sisters and I had done for her...

but if at all possible...

the spending of time with your loved ones is the most valuable of times.

There is such a thing as too late in life.

Merely showing up at a funeral is not demonstrative of love or respect.

Being there with them in life is.

--------------

This is a video compilation of my mother enjoying her home.

I had asked her what she wanted most in life when she first moved to Reno.

She had said she wanted her dream home.

I made sure she got it...

and it was where she lived most of her last years...

in comfort and in happiness.

This was of my mother just a year ago.

-------------

And so...

this article is the last for this blog.

All of the articles I had written in this blog still hold value

for all senior citizens.

In fact...

it was because of the basic way of living that my mother could enjoy 

so many more years of happiness than she otherwise would have.

She had lived far longer...

especially in a state of relative physical and mental health...

until the final few months...

than she would have in any facility.

Again...

I do understand that most are simply not in the position of freedom

to care for their aging parents...

and so...

I am not talking from afar and above.

Just know that the healthful way of living I had chronicled 

in this blog had worked wonders for my mother...

and so...

is a valid way of living for all senior citizens...

and is especially valuable to prevent an early degradation

of body and mind for all.

-------------

We all must die.

Our ultimate goal is to die as healthy as possible...

to have as much quality of life until the end...

and to experience as many magical memories in life as possible before then.

Snow Day - The Next Day...Blue Skies

 

Reiki Music

The day following the Royal Gorge day...

it had lightly snowed all day long.

We just stayed in...

and I spent part of the day relaxing in my recliner

as I watched the snow fall.

I played fetch with Bandi...

until she tired out.

My guest took some pictures of me in my recliner.

I went to bed early...

and awakened to blue skies.

This has been the normal pattern here.

It will snow for a day or two...

and then there will be blue skies.

It transforms the landscape into a beautiful winter wonderland.

-----------------------

The next morning...

one of my guests decided to take some indoor and outdoor shots around the home...

and down the street with Bandi.

Bandi was digging through the snow and having a fun time exploring.

My guest had just come back in from her short walk...

and I downloaded her photos.

She had commented on how glittery the snow looked in the sun.

She also loves how everything seems magical after a light snow...

and with the blue skies on the day afterwards.

-----------------

As it is still early in the morning...

I will wait for another hour or so...

and I will snowplow the driveway.

Around noon...

we will then drive up to Pikes Peak...

and afterwards...

we will eat at a Brazilian all you can eat meat fest...

and then come back home.

Those pictures I will put in my next blog article later tonight.

--------------------

Addendum:  

Pikes Peak was closed due to icy conditions.

And...the snow wasn't deep enough to necessitate my using the snow blower.

And so...

we drove into Colorado Springs to eat at a Jewish restaurant...

and I then dropped off my guests at a casino in the nearby town...

where they stayed to gamble for almost six hours...

and I just rested at home until they texted me that they were ready to be picked up.

They enjoyed themselves.

We are going to try for Pikes Peak tomorrow...

and as a backup plan in case it is still closed...

we will go to Breckenridge and ride the gondola up to a mountain peak...

and then eat out at a Mexican restaurant in the nearby town before returning.