missjunebug Reflects on the Big 6-0

Posted by missjunebug on October 20, 2011

Most Beautiful Flowers Ever! Thanks, Margaret!!!! Photo by mjb2011

What was the first thing missjunebug did on her BIG 6-0 B-Day? Checked her Facebook page, natch. As much as she complains about the invasive nature of media, technology, i-this, and i-that devices (of which she owns all the them–thanks to Secular Prophet S.J. (may you R.I.P.), she couldn’t wait to see who offered up to her Birthday Greetings from around the country. She loved reading every last one of them! From elementary school friends she hasn’t seen in decades to church friends to close friends, to dear family flung far and wide, it was a thoroughly delightful way to start her 6-0 B-day. Whatever did she do before Facebook? Thanks, Zuck Dawg for this amazing, invasive, confounding, delightful tool of communication without which missjunebug’s life would be socially impoverished fo sho. And thanks to all my fbfriends for fond birthday greetings. And, hey, missjunebug even got some email greetings, text-mail, phone calls, and cards IN THE MAIL!!! with sweet wishes, too. Special thanks to those who took the time to write in cursive (dying art!) their greetings. Life is good. Life is good, indeed.

As for sixty? It sucks.

missjunebug kids.

As one of her dear fb/church friends said: “This year 6 wins, 0 losses.” missjunebug loves this idea so much so that she’s figured out what those future wins should be:

missjunebugWin#1: Continued Good Health with the C-word a distant memory.

missjunebugWin#2: Living in the Now, just like Eckhart said. No past. No future. Now. Now. Now.

missjunebugWin#3: Loving neighbor/other as self, just like J.C. said. He is missjunebug’s homeboy.

missjunebug’s Win#4: Cherish family and friends forever, just like Facebook says: Stay connected, but missjunebug suggests,”Do it in person!”

missjunebug’s Win#5: Cash in those airline miles and resort points and travel often and open-minded. missjunebug’s dear Mr.JB and she head for Central Asia and Australia in 2012. STANS, here they come for the Transit of Venus! And Aussies, fire up the barbie and the Total Solar Eclipse! Fun times to come in the big 6-0!

missjunebug’s Win #6: Continue to write her little bug heart out on missjunebug.com for fun, for learning, for legacy! She hopes you’ll continue to check in with her from time to time!

Over Resolutions for 1/1/11

Posted by missjunebug on January 1, 2011

missjunebug has a new plan for a new year: Over Resolutions.

Here are hers for 2011:

Experiences over Things

Face Time over Facebook

Kindle over Paper

Clean Foods over Crap Foods

Walking hills over just walking

Water over Coca Cola (That’s a tough one!)

Travel over the Travel Channel

Cruise Vacays over just about any other kind

Coffee Break French over Rosetta Stone French

Clutter Free over Clutter Challenged (Sure to take all of 2011!)

Breakfast Out over Dinner Out (Pete’s Breakfast House here missjunebug comes!!)

Angry Birds over Twitter

Words with Friends over just about any other app missjunebug has on her iPhone

Retail therapy over Real therapy

Cancer Survivor over Cancer Patient

A better 2011 over 2010!!

Have a happy, healthy New Year from missjunebug!

Sometimes Things Just Work Out

Posted by missjunebug on April 3, 2010

Last week missjunebug was checking in on facebook.com, reading a few comments here and there, enjoying smart remarks, inanities, and, some pretty cogent observations (well, maybe one cogent observation) when she saw an old friend was online who has only lately been (sort of) converted to the social network nonpareil. Actually, her very savvy  (and gorgeous) daughter set her up a facebook page that is, shall missjunebug say, a work in progress. But she digresses.

The bit of banter exchanged clumsily by facebook-style emails (so annoying)–missjunebug’s dear friend is not up to speed on the instant chat portion of facebook yet–produced the following cogent observation: “Hey, I’ve got an idea, why don’t you call me or I’ll call you!”

Brilliant! missjunebug and her friend had not talked on the phone for years, who knows how many had gone by. Too many, missjunebug is sure. But with that one magical phone connection she and her friend tripped the friendship fantastic and talked and talked and talked and talked. Husband reviews, unabashed praise of children who turned out all right despite what they did or didn’t do as parents (whew! missjunebug hears the whrrrrr of the dodged bullet streaking by!), career highpoints (missjunebug’s brainy friend is singlehandedly running a school district after strategically working her way from the classroom to the boardroom. Can you say USC phD?? Hell, yes, missjunebug’s friend can! They talked houses (exquisite burdens), health (compromised but fixable), travel (foursome va-cays? maybe, if there’s an eclipse in the mix), girlfriend roadtrips (where  and when does missjunebug sign up??) and a few hundred other topics of extreme interest to both of them.

Had much time passed since their last heart to heart? Absolutely. Did it make a difference? Only in the sense that both of them realized what a great thing they had going for them as friends and they should have never drifted apart. But as the poet says, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way…” the inevitable happened.

But wait. missjunebug is not quite finished yet with her little story. Toward the end of the conversation her friend mentioned that she and her dear Bear were attending a wedding at the weekend that was a quick 45-minute drive from Mr.JB and missjunebug’s home! Are you kidding her??? missjunebug was bug-eyed with delight that they might be able to pull off a long overdue reunion.

After all, missjunebug and Mr.JB had a lot to be grateful for where their friends were concerned: they helped arrange the blind date that has lead to 30 years of (mostly!) marital bliss!! They even made sure that not one, but two pastors (a husband and wife team) officiated at their tiny ceremony. (Attendance: 6) (Bottles of champagne consumed: 12) missjunebug’s friend possessed the prescience that missjunebug would eventually get right with God again and be super thankful she had had her marriage spiritually blessed by those in the know. How wise her friend was!

Segue to a quaint  Italian cafe in a quaint old-town setting in So-Cal. missjunebug, Mr. JB, and their dear friends spent an afternoon lunching together and laughing themselves silly about everything under the sun and more. For missjunebug, it couldn’t have come at a better time as she works her way through a few health:compromised issues. But this particular afternoon, she held all worries in abeyance and basked in the glow of friendships forged anew.

Just how lucky can one little missjunebug get? Pretty damned lucky. To have friends such as these.