A pictures of Dad on His Memorial Service Eve! An appreciation!

Dear Family of Love,

I wanted to show you pictures of Dad prior to his memorial Service. Tonight we celebrate our lives and life. Life is an amazing thing. When you think of Dad being 91 when he died, that is a major accomplishment.

Dad was born in St. Helena California on March 7, 1923 to Leroy Fischer Macdonald Sr.  Here is a picture of my dad and his brother my Uncle James Reid Macdonald II. This picture was taken by Imogen Cunningham a noted photographer of her day.

When my Papa Macdonald couldn't hack the agriculture industry in the Napa Valley they moved to Berkeley California  Dad went to Garfield Junior High School, University High School and Cal Berkeley and was also an acolyte at All Soul's Berkeley. I have two of his crosses.  Here is Dad in Junior High. 

After graduating High School and attending Cal for a bit he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps

Here is a fun looking picture!

After Serving as as Sea Going Marine Dad tried again going back to the University of Oregon but that didn't suit him so he packed up and moved to San Francisco and applied for a job at Western Air Lines where he met my mother Louise Adela Searl. He lived at the Marine's Memorial Club prior to their marriage

The Marine Club became our home away from home when we would visit Granny and Papa Macdonald.

Mom and Dad were married on November 8, 1947 at the Historic Mission Inn in Riverside in the Friar's Chapel. 

 Mom and Dad

Dad and Uncle Reid

They moved to Portland to work for Western Airlines and then moved back to the San Francisco area where Dad worked in an olive packing cannery. They went on strike and Dad had to work in earnest to find work and found a position with Baker and Hamilton a wholesale hardware business. Dad became a Willy Loman type traveling salesman. 

Mom and Dad were blessed by the births of Stephen James Macdonald in 1949 and Margaret in 1951. They were born in San Francisco. Dad was given the Central Coast as part of his territory so the family of four moved to Santa Maria in 1951 shortly after Margaret (Margie) was born. Dad knew it was time to settle down into a more permanent job and he began work at Farmer's Hardware in Guadalupe which would become Guadalupe Hardware when Dad bought the business from the Bassi's

Not quite the whole family. From left ( Margie, Dad, Mom, Grandpa G.E. ,Stephen, Grandma Lorena, Uncle Jerry (Mom's Brother) Craig Searl (Mom's first Nephew), and Aunt Dodi Searl ( Mom's sis-in-law)

In 1954 and in 1959 Mom and Dad were again blessed by the births of John and Sara (Me) in Santa Maria  At Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 

The Family is Complete

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This was where all of  we six lived on Mill Street prior to our living on Claremont Place. The house that I have lived in for almost 54 years.

Dad was an official for college and high school athletics, he began playing golf at the Santa Maria Country club up until last year. He still went out for coffee and as he called it BS. He and Mom Traveled a lot and here are a few of their pix. and others

 Mom, the Sphinx, and the Pyramids

North to Canada and Alaska with Grandma Lorena, Dad, Mom, and me.

Dad's Ninetieth Birthday

 Our last Christmas together

Dad passed away into Eternal Joy and light on May 19, 2014 at Marian Medical Center with almost all of our family surrounding him. Tomorrow we will celebrate his life at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Santa Maria at 11:00 a.m.  Daddy- I will see you later but not too soon. I love you and appreciate all that you have done in the lives of our family, the business community in Guadalupe, your support of the Olympics, Guadalupe Buddhist Church, your golfing Buddies at the Santa Maria Country Club, and the many times you played badminton and volleyball at Hancock College with Sam Vokes, Nat Fast, Bob Kwok, and the Ng Brothers. Say hi to all of our departed loved ones who are in the Thin Places and send them our love and know that we feel your and their presence every day. I give God thanks for you and Mom and all that you did for our family every day that we were with you and are with you still. 

Give to the departed eternal rest;

Let light perpetual shine upon them

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I'll Be Seeing You, Frank Sinatra

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Good Night Lovely Family! We will be back to our regular format tomorrow. I love you, You Matter, and You are family.

With love and a grateful heart for all that you do!

Love, joy,blessings, and prayers this night and always,

Sara

Time for a little bit of fun and getting out! A necessary ingredient for living

Dear Family of  Love and Pilgrims on our Journey!

I had fun, fun, fun this evening with the Santa Maria High School Drama Alumni group. I am a choir member alum and have been adopted by them. I love it and I love them. Chemo went well today and I can't believe how good I feel. Resting and having fun are essential for healing! If you haven't had any fun lately please do so. Tonight we will pray in place but first take a look at some fun photos and enjoy! Some of these photos are pictures of my late partner Steve. This way you know what he looked like! 

At Guitar Center Hollywood Boulevard 

 Defunct Counterspy in Beverly Hills

 Yappy Doo on my walk!

 Car Show at the Santa Maria Inn

 Froggy at the Santa Maria Inn !

 At the Salt Creek Grille in El Segundo

 Steve loved Nate N' Al's Deli in Beverly Hills. I did too!

 Steve and I met Bruce Johnston at the Beach Boys Concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl

Dear God we pray that we may have periods of fun and be able to lighten up enjoy our life and time with our family members.

We give thanks for the gifts of laughter, joy, and love.

We pray that we may never take life so seriously that we forget to see you at work in the lighter times of life.

We give thanks to you for all the wonder and wonderful abundance that you show and shower upon us each day.

We pray for new and exciting adventures in our lives that will bring us closer to you and to our family members.

We give thanks for music that will set our hearts aloft and give us joy, laughter, and feel happy.

We give thanks for fun and laughter that will take away our worries and give us times to rest and let go.

God we offer our prayers and those who have asked for prayer to you with loving, compassionate, and light hearts. We ask this in your name who made Sarah Laugh! Amen.

******

Good Night Lovies! I love you ! You Matter! I hope someday we will all meet in 3D that is offline and in person and share laughter, love, and joy! I give thanks to God with Gladness for everyone of you my dearest family!

Love, Live, laugh, and be filled with a joyful heart!

Sara

Beach Boys Mix

You've Got a Friend in Me- Brian Wilson Songs in the Key of Disney

Don't Worry Be Happy -Bobby McFerrin

We prayer Walked the whole Holy Three! Yes it is true!

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey,

We prayer walked the whole Holy Three! Yes it is true. It was an amazing prayer walk.  I saw God's Cathedral of Life with new and rested eyes and a body to boot. Tomorrow I will see Dr. Vara and have chemo! I'm feeling well and accepting the many challenges of combining  treatment and grieving the loss of Dad. Today I had the privilege of picking up the death certificates and his urn today. I'm glad that I won't have to visit Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary for awhile unless it is for a memorial service or funeral. I had enough stamina to do quite a few important errands. I took a little nap and knew that I was going to prayer walk tonight and God gave me the energy and made me feel as though I was enlivened by the Spirit and Living water was coursing through my veins.  On today's prayer walk there were many family members out and about. Keep in mind that we are approaching Summer and many of our homeless family members will be camping out throughout our cities and towns. Please treat them with dignity and respect. I hope everyone who had the opportunity to vote today did. Everyone who votes benefits. How are you doing in honoring the many caregivers in your life this week? I hope you are taking time to honor them in some way or other. Before we have a time of prayer I'm going to share with you the pictures from tonight's walk.

Dear God we give thanks for a return to our time or prayer walking and pilgrimage. We give thanks for refreshed, renewed, relaxed, and rested bodies, minds, and spirits.

We give pray for all  of our Family Members who are grieving losses of any kind and that they may feel your healing arms of comfort and love.

 We pray for all of our family members who are homeless and will be able to find shelter and be safe from harm.

 We pray for all of our family members who will be graduating from any center of learning. We pray that they may be safe as they celebrate and may have bright futures ahead.

 We pray for all those who have asked us to pray for their families, friends, and loved ones especially__________

We remember those who are dying and those who have died today remembering__________

We Give thanks this night for all your abundant blessings especially_________________

We celebrate this day especially for_______________________

 We give thanks for the opportunity to vote and exercise our right to vote as citizens of this country. May we never take this sacred duty for granted. We pray for all those who will be elected that they may remember they are called to serve and protect the least of these.

 Lord God may we reflect your love and light to others and see you in our family members' eyes.

 May we find rest tonight and lay down all our worries  and wake up feeling rested, refreshed, renewed with joy to meet a new day.

 We pray this night for all leaders and faith communities that we all may peacefully coexist and learn to love one another as you our awesome God love us.

God we lift up these our prayers to you this night in your name. Amen.


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Good Night Lovely Family! I love you, you matter, you bless me every day!

Love, prayers, blessings, Joy, be always yours!

Sara

Look at the World- John Rutter

Beautiful/Brave Carole King-Sara Bareilles

Voting as a sacred duty of all citizens wherever you live and Prayers for Election Day Eve

Dear Family of Love,

I'm sorry I was unable to prayer walk tonight due to a slight headache. We will pray in place instead. Tonight  I want to remind everyone regardless of your political leanings to vote in tomorrow's election. If you are from our neighboring country to the north in Canada please vote whenever you have the opportunity. Voting is not to be taken lightly. It is the most sacred duty of all citizens. We must treat it as a privilege and an honor. Whenever we vote we are using our words as I told my preschoolers to do when I taught many years ago.  Educate yourself on the issues, read your voting pamphlet, mark your sample ballot, and vote either at your local polling place or by mail. You have until 8:00 p.m. your time wherever that may be. Remember this

Voting = Y/our Voice(s )
No Voting =   Y/our voice(s) will not be heard
Y/our One Vote Matters just like you Matter!
Please Cast your Vote tomorrow and pray ahead of time and in the voting booth!

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Dear God we pray on this election day eve that we may be good citizens and take time to vote tomorrow.

May we view voting as a sacred privilege not to be squandered but prized.

May we educate ourselves on the various issues and pray for your guidance  in these matters and that we always remember the least of these and those who are on the margins especially for those whose rights may be violated and not made equal to that of our own.

We pray for our leaders at all levels of government.

We pray for our courts and the judiciary.

We pray for all governmental agencies at the local, state, and national level.

We pray for all new citizens who will be voting in their first election.

We pray that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O God and may justice roll down.

We pray that our voices may be as we vote and may we remember the voiceless who can't vote.

We pray for all lawyers, paralegals, court clerks, bailiffs, sheriffs, justices of the peace, law enforcement personnel, judges, District Attorneys and all those who help administer justice in our land.

We pray for those who work in our prisons and jails. We pray for prison reform and those who are in prison.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform. 

We pray for peace in our country and and end to violence of any kind.

We pray for an end to human trafficking and abuse.

We pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members.

We pray for peace in all troubled and war torn areas of Your World O God. Take time in this time of silence to call these places and situations to mind.

We pray for all those who have asked us to pray for them and others on their behalf. 

We add our own prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances _____

God we lift up these prayers to you in your Name. Amen.

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Have a blessed night dear family! I love you, you Matter, and I'm blessed and give thanks that we are family!


Love, joy, peace, and blessings!

Sara

If you have children show them these! If you have forgotten what you studied in civics class!

School House Rock Faves!

School House Preamble

The Constitution- School House Rock

I'm just a Bill - School House Rock- Jack Sheldon

Caregving as pilgrimage. My story

Dear Family of Love,

I'm on an every other day prayer walking time. Rest is essential when I don't have the energy and have one of my sinus headaches like I do today. Many days have passed since my dad Leroy F. Macdonald Jr. entered Eternal life. I have been reflecting upon my role as caregiver and what that means as a family member who sacrificed many things to take care of aging parents and a life partner. Here is my reflection:

My odyssey into caregiving began when I started to take care of my mother Louise when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was doing temp jobs and many times of being retrained to keep up with the technological advances needed in the workplace and also learning a Spanish to be able to work in governmental agencies.
As my my mother's illness progressed and she became an invalid and couldn't walk and ended up bed-ridden I took on the major role of caregiver. I did this steadily for about 6 years until she passed away in 2005. I was ill prepared for what I would be called to do for her. It was almost like I had a return to my life as a pre-school teacher of 2 year-olds. Housekeeping and helping an adult with personal care and everything having to do with  a bedridden loved one was a daunting time to say the least. I learned quite a bit of what a nurse would do. The physical and emotional toll of being a caregiver placed me in pain and not only that at times resenting my lot as a caregiver. I loved Mom but it wasn't easy to have to take on a quasi-parental role. After my mom died on March 5, 2005 on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I thought that I was free and could and would be able to find work even though I was afforded a retraining program through the Workforce Investment Act and Atlas Computer school where I became a geekette. I applied for work all over to no avail. At the same time throughout these periods of caregiving I was a lay minister and had many ministries I was involved in at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Santa Maria. I was also in a committed long term relationship with my life partner Steve who had complex health issues. Around Christmas 2008 following a month's stay at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara Steve came home to be with my dad and me for a few weeks post hospitalization . I learned how to to wound care and know more about his illness Hidradenitis Suppurativa which can be described as acne  on overload. He lived in Lompoc and had caregivers there when he got home. We were on an odyssey with his cancer diagnosis and trying to find the best solutions for his care. It was finally decided that he would undergo his treatment for cancer here in Santa Maria and move his care predominantly here. In 2010 Steve folded in with us in our home and I took care of him throughout his cancer treatments. He was on the same drug 5FU as I currently am.  He remained with us until he had to be placed in a care facility until he died on August 19, 2012. I learned more about caregiving for one who had tricky bleeding episodes, complex wounds, and the like. At the same time I was caring for Steve I also had my dad to take care of. Not an easy task but it was better than having to be in two cities at once. After Steve's passing I took care of my dad until this last hospitalization.   

You can see a large chunk of my life has been devoted to caregiving and a lot of self-sacrifice!  I find that I'm having flashes of being angry. I'm n not angry about the caregiving, but angry about my brothers who think just because I was a caregiver and didn't have a paying job and was supported by Dad that I'm dumb, don't know anything, and couldn't possibly manage on my own and need help and advice.I have successfully taken care of 3 of my loved ones, served God and am serving God in God's church, kingdom, and not to mention being in 3 major leadership rolls in the Order of the Daughters of the King (R) all at the same time while writing this blog and prayer walking and learning all that is needed to be a support system in a new and growing cyber ministry. Everything you have seen above and are seeing helps me be uniquely keyed in to what our family is going through. This is not to be seen as a pity party but  a story of  how God has been working throughout this time period for 15 years!  God is Good! Everything I/we do is to God's Glory and with loving and caring hearts. I have seen my life as a caregiver as one of pilgrimage and a time of holy care for loved ones.  In the next week I challenge each of us to take time to care for the the caregivers in your life.

First let us pray for caregivers!

Dear God we pray for all caregivers that they may be regarded as holy people who care for our family with tender loving care. 

We pray that we may step up and help them get the rest they richly and earnestly deserve.

May we be non-judgemental just because they sacrifice much to care. May we cease being opinionated and giving unwanted advice just to be helpful. 

We give thanks to you O God for caregivers who have an abundance of knowledge that most of our family members do not have.

We pray for all caregiver's health, finances, and lives that are sometimes sacrificed in order to provide care.

We pray for the following Caregivers of every stripe:

Clergy
Hospital workers
Hospital Chaplains
Seminarians who are doing CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education)
Mental health workers and aides
Law enforcement personnel.
Emergency Medical Technicians
Emergency rescue personnel
Pastoral Care teams (Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Eucharistic Visitors, those who sit vigil at the bedside of the dying) 
Hospice workers
Mortuary personnel
Certified Nursing Assistants
Nurses
Home health aides
House keepers
In Home Supportive Services
Medical professionals
Disabled transportation workers
Caregiving and in home agencies
Nursing home workers
Family members who care for loved ones
Visiting Nurses

Lord God we pray this night for all who are caregiving and may they get rest when they need it and that we may respond to their needs. We lift up these our prayers to you in your most Holy Name. Amen.


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Dear Family that's all for this evening! I love you and I give thanks to God for you allowing me to tell my story as a caregiver. Remember I love you, you matter, and yes you are a caregiver too if you give care to anyone.

Love, prayers, peace, blessings, and joy be always yours!

Sara


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Caregiver's Bill of Rights