2024 Soundtrack

Party Train by The GAP

JANUARY 1, 2023, we awoke early to finish preparations for guests and our good luck New Year's Day meal for friends and family. "Party Train" by The Gap was blasting throughout the house; we danced around the kitchen while my husband prepared the meat, and we set out snacks. Guests were arriving impatient to eat his exceptional food. We had collard greens symbolizing greenbacks (folding paper money), black-eyed peas to bring wealth in coins, and lima beans and rice, our standard comfort foods for gatherings. He always makes chicken and sometimes his famous baby back ribs.

FEBRUARY - As my husband drove me to the hospital for another eye check, he was streaming "Just Be Good To Me" by The S.O.S. band. It was playing in my head as we sat in the waiting area. We danced to it when dating; it is our song. My left eye had retinal tears four times and had to be emergency lasered. This visit was with a different doctor who decided a punctal plug would help my eye. It was torturous and agonizing, requiring another immediate eye surgery in the exam room. I tried to remove my psyche from the agony by concentrating on the song in my head. You can read about the procedure here:

In MARCH 2024, I traveled with my husband for our first trip Down Under. It was so dang-blessed hot that even the Aussies were melting in the ninety-five degree Fahrenheit. To prep us for our trip, we often played "And The Sea" by Poolside. The beat is uplifting and gets your hips swaying, ready for boating and island life.

As we continued on to Fiji for a catamaran cruise through the islands, we were greeted by the traditional welcome song, Bula Maleya.

When we booked our trip, we thought the catamaran would be a similar size to the Celebrity one we took in the Galapagos. Instead, it was half the size. With five cabins and only two crew members, we immediately regretted our lack of research. Recently promoted, the First Mate had to prep, cook, and present the food, clean the galley and our cabins, and assist the captain. The crew worked hard, but we felt it was too much work for only two.

When the captain ran the air conditioning, I escaped to our tiny cabin to cool off and get a quiet moment away. When the a/c wasn't running, we jumped in the eighty-five-degree sea water to cool off, escaping ninety-eight degrees Fahrenheit and the 89% humidity.

Despite the beautiful sites, we were ready to be home. We needed three weeks to recover after the long flight and time difference. You can read about the Fiji cruise here:

APRIL - A short, quiet visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, brought us back to the sun. It was nice to have a shorter trip in the same time zone. We visited all our favorite spots but missed the wild horses by Salt River. A cousin, the same age as me, lives nearby, so we met for lunch and reminisced.

JUNE - During June, we spent Friday nights at a college planetarium watching the sky shows they presented, traveling to Mars, and seeing the creation of our planet. Since we live in a cloudy area, we don't get frequent clear skies, and the planetarium presentations were educational and fun outings.

AUGUST - The Perseid meteor shower always comes on my birthday. We used to travel to the highest driving point on Mt Rainier to see them. You can read about the 2023 event that changed the Park entry system due to the crowding and illegal off-roading below.

This year, I decided we would visit Anchorage for my birthday, forgetting that the skies don't get dark enough for stargazing. Seeing meteors in good weather would be a feat, but it was impossible in the rainy weather that greeted us. It didn't bother us, though. We live in rain country, and it stopped whenever we wanted to get out and hike.

Driving around the area with Red Hot Chili Peppers "Road Trippin" on repeat, my husband and I reminisced about our time there. Not only was this the place where we met, but we also had many memories exploring together. One day, we drove south to see Portage Glacier and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, a must-see! When I lived there, the glacier was visible from the parking lot, but now people must take a boat to see it. When visiting, I always look for moose, and I got lucky to see them this time.

SEPTEMBER - Autumn found us in Athens, Greece. We thoroughly enjoyed Rhodes and Ephesus, but Santorini and Mykonos won't be on our list of places to revisit. Istanbul was also a favorite. We especially liked its famous mosques and the Basilica Cistern, a breathtaking vision of underground beauty.

One night, while enjoying a show on the boat, I received a text from my oldest niece. It was about my brother, her dad. He, of course, had given me no clue until we were flying through Montreal to Athens that he was having a heart procedure. My niece texted that he was in the hospital, and the procedure didn't go as planned; it was more involved, his organs were shutting down, and they had intubated him.

We offered up prayers and kept him in our thoughts. Finally, I felt a sudden urge to mentally shout at him to "WAKE UP! Stay and meet your new grandson, who is coming in a month!" Miraculously, he did just that. Jelly Roll's song, "Need A Favor," played in my mind. I don't ask for favors from God. I ask that His/Her will be done. Yet, the beat and words in this song resonate with me. The song blasted open my feelings that night out in the Mediterranean, so far away from my dying brother! Jelly Roll's lyrics and throaty singing make me want to join in.

Scott opened his eyes shortly after my mental shout. He had a recovery….of sorts. Hurricane Helene was bearing down on Tampa Bay, and his hospital was in its path. He texted me that they had just completed erecting the hurricane barricades. Then, word came that they were releasing him right before Helene hit Tampa. We had a few days left on the cruise before flying to Athens and Seattle. All seemed to be moving uphill and favorably for him.

Scott was released and, the next day drove himself for a haircut. He had another heart episode on the ride but was able to make it back home. Later that night, he couldn't breathe and called 9-1-1. Admitted to a hospital closer to his home, he was placed into a medically-induced coma.

He died. Age seventy-five. Three adult children and seven grandchildren, with an eighth one due in November. The cremation was delayed due to storm damage and state requirements. "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" by Jimmy Ruffin repeatedly plays in my mind as I shuffle photos and share them with his kids, wondering how to say goodbye.

OCTOBER - Hurricane Milton crashed through Florida in October, further damaging the state. Thankfully, our relatives were not impacted too severely by the storms. My only grandchild who lives in Michigan, had her first child, my great-grandson.

In NOVEMBER, Scott's youngest daughter had her third child, a son, the one we fervently wished he could meet. The baby's middle name is Scott.

Plans for my brother's memorial are still on hold. "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted," a song I listened to repeatedly in high school, plays through my head. I don't know what songs play in his widow's or children's heads, but this is the one that plays for me. I begin to text him and remember he is gone. My youngest niece said the same, so I told her I could be that person for her - text or call.

With the death and the newborns, Patti LaBelle's song "Oh People" gave me hope for the future!

DECEMBER whimpered in with mild weather and little communication. A cloud of sadness hangs over us. Our tree and outdoor lights went up and glittered gorgeously in the rain, reflecting from puddles. I sit by the window watching the Cooper's Hawk fly by, hunting her meals from birds at our feeders. Life goes on. It doesn't stop for anyone.

On the last day of the year, my husband and I traded his truck for a different vehicle and drove it home to begin food preparations. This year, it is only our grown, unmarried children and us.

Sia's "Unstoppable" lyrics came on the radio. It's a perfect way to sum up my year and welcome in the new one: - I'm Unstoppable>I'm a Porsche with no brakes>I'm invincible Yeah, I win every single game> I'm so powerful I don't need batteries to play>I'm so confident, yeah, I'm unstoppable today. It is a vital, fitting ending to 2024 and the beginning of 2025. A theme song for the new year as life goes on.

Copyright © 1/2/2025 by Andrea O. Corwin

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This is my last poem of 2024 -