I was so busy this morning. I had to go pick up a prescription for someone, go check on my mother's mailbox in her apartment building, go see her in the hospital in the intensive care unit, not a moment to spare.
I got to her building, checked the mail and hopped into the elevator and pushed 3. The elevator lurched up a couple of feet, then dropped back down. Feeling irritated, I pushed the 3 button again.
Nothing happened. I pushed the 1 button....after all, I wasn't sure if I had landed back on the first floor. Nothing. I started to realize that there was a big problem here. I pressed the "open door" button. I pressed it a few more times. Nothing. Yes, I was trapped. I've heard of this happening to people before, but never realized the horror of experiencing this. There was a red "alarm" button and I rang that. I could hear it as though it just rang in the hallways, maybe to alert someone passing by?
There was a little door indicating a way to call for help, and I opened it. No phone inside, just a button and a speaker. I pressed the button. An operator came on and took my name and asked if I was all right. I said "Well, I'm all right for now...but I'm trapped!" She also took my cell phone number, asked me what building I was in, and told me that she would alert maintenance for me. The line was temporarily scratchy and she asked me to repeat my cell phone number, stating that another operator had cut in and caused interference. I repeated my number to her. (I kept thinking...it's Sunday...do the maintenance people work today, or will they have to be paged????) Now, the building I was in is owned by a corporation in Rhode Island, so I didn't know for sure if that's where I was calling with this button...I also worried about how long it would take.
I took off my jacket, as it was very small and close in there, and I was getting warm. I looked up. There was a plastic grid way above me, with lighting enclosed. I couldn't see anything else. There was no fan, as you find in some elevators. I remembered things that I had seen on TV in the past. I knew that I must remain calm, take shallow, calm breaths, and not use up all of the air quickly. It was like being shut in a very stuffy closet. I leaned against the wall and shut my eyes and kept praying that God would send someone to me. I flipped open my phone and thought that I would call a few people on my contact list to just somehow alert authorities to help me. Another disappointment as I saw on my phone that there was no reception available in the elevator! This of course, meant that the operator with whom I had spoken would never call me back. My heart sank. I went back to leaning against the wall and praying for help.
After about 15 minutes I heard someone coming through the main doors. I banged on the elevator door and said "Hello?" A man answered me, and asked where I was. I told him I was trapped in the elevator. I said "Are you the maintenance man?" He said "No, I'm delivering newspapers." I asked him to please not leave me alone. He told me that his truck was running outside and he would go shut it off and then come back in. I heard him leave and then I heard the doors open again as he returned. I could hear that he was talking to someone on a cell phone. He questioned me as to whether I had pushed emergency buttons, etc...and I told him of my call for maintenance, but they weren't there yet. I said "Sir, could you do something for me?" He said "Yes." I said "Please call the local police department and alert them that I am stuck in here!" His reply: "Ummmm I don't think I can call 911 about this, because it's not a real emergency." (Good Lord, he didn't even know how long I had been waiting!) I put my mouth up next to the elevator door and said "Sir...I HAVE to get out of here!"
Suddenly, the elevator lurched and brought me up to the second floor, which wasn't my destination, but I was hopeful. Then the door OPENED! I hopped off, and warned the woman on the second floor, who had obviously called the elevator up there, NOT to step into the elevator. I took the stairs the rest of the way up, and stood near the hallway window, taking deep breaths of wonderful, brisk Fall air, trying to calm myself. I couldn't believe I was free!
And in that building in particular, I'll be taking the stairs from now on!
(p.s. I realize that I simplified this experience for my blog. If anyone thinks it was a short and sweet happening...I must tell you that I needed to keep my bedroom window wide open that night in order to sleep and spent the next couple of days reliving it in my mind and taking extraordinarily deep breaths to calm myself.)
Last night just before 9 p.m. my husband and I decided to go to the "green" which is the downtown area, all decorated for Christmas.
We are officially known as "The Christmas City", and have been for decades.
I brought my camera to capture some memories of this year's display. Every year it's decorated in a different manner.
I worry about our feral cats' little feet in this sub-freezing and snowy weather. I decided to put down a bathroom rug where I feed them so they can get a little break from the snowy surfaces where they walk.
Redd, my daughter's cat, lived at my house for a few months TEN YEARS ago. Yes, that's right. Ten years ago. He was one of 4 at that time who lived here. The others have since passed on, and because of my recent loss of two of those in the past few weeks, I wondered if Redd would be willing to come over and spend some time with me.
I put him in the cat carrier and drove to my house and sure enough when we opened the cage in the living room, be began snooping around and purring immediately. He gave the house the once-over. Yes, flooring is now different and the furniture has changed. But he KNEW the layout, checking the rooms and looking out the windows and the sliding glass door. He purred for hours and hours. He relaxed with me while I watched TV and when I went to bed, he came in and plopped his chubby body right next to my head and purred loudly in my ear. That's exactly what I needed to hear because my heart was broken.
He is a good boy, and really made himself at home for his visit with me. I think he might have been looking for the girls that he knew years ago, as he sniffed areas on rugs where they have been. Even though I have vacuumed, he was drawn to the areas where they had been resting in the past few weeks. He carefully sniffed the doorways where they would rub their smiles and he just knew. 
I started our turkey in our oven at 6:30 a.m.
Then I brought the turkey over to Chad's house to finish the cooking there.
Preparing food for others to enjoy can be fun on a holiday. Lots of work, but lots of enjoyment.
We had many things to choose from...
A cozy fire is a comforting thing 
The award ceremony was held at the State House in Boston.
Chad was honored for his work on a recent double homicide.
Nothing happened. I pushed the 1 button....after all, I wasn't sure if I had landed back on the first floor. Nothing. I started to realize that there was a big problem here. I pressed the "open door" button. I pressed it a few more times. Nothing. Yes, I was trapped. I've heard of this happening to people before, but never realized the horror of experiencing this. There was a red "alarm" button and I rang that. I could hear it as though it just rang in the hallways, maybe to alert someone passing by?
(p.s. I realize that I simplified this experience for my blog. If anyone thinks it was a short and sweet happening...I must tell you that I needed to keep my bedroom window wide open that night in order to sleep and spent the next couple of days reliving it in my mind and taking extraordinarily deep breaths to calm myself.)
Everywhere I went last week, I noticed signs advertising flu shots. There's a walk-in clinic that I pass frequently and also pharmacies nearby, such as Walgreen's and CVS.
She's been waiting for today.....
Of course I'm happy for her. This is what she's been wanting as she waved good-bye to her brother for the past couple of years as he left on that bus.
Two years ago, when I lost my job, I could at last spend time with her. We read and talked and played games. We went to her favorite place Thubways (Subway) where she always charmed them out of a free cookie by batting those eyelashes. I let her make a lot of her own decisions. We visited Great Nana and we went to the park. Sometimes we just watched TV or giggled and acted silly. We even have our own secret code words that no one else really knows about.
<---The hiding place
Bro & Sis, Chad and Lori
Distant cousins meeting for the first time
These babies are the descendants from Mit Laliberte and his brother, Leo Laliberte. My husband is the son of Leo. Patty is the daughter of Mit. These are grandchildren of husband, Bill and his cousin, Patty.
It's about time that they met.
They really enjoyed one another!
Thank God for sisters!
As you can see, this baby is stunned that he is being given something other than mushy cereal with other mushy things added, such as strained fruit or vegetables. He knew other foods existed, because he's been eyeing his family closely lately.....but today, well today his dreams came true thanks to his big sister.
Ice cream is great when teething
Taylor in between cousins
A boy and his mansion
