Good bye, May

Here we are heading into June.. and the summer..

I guess technically this is the end of Spring and the

beginning of summer, although it isn’t official until

June 25^th. 

I love the Summer the best.  The warm weather,

the working out in the yard. The long days, and

even the shorter nights.

And as my years get shorter, the more I enjoy the

summers. Life just seems better in the summer.

More care free… maybe because we don’t have

any holidays to have to prepare for.

Memorial Days are planting flowers.. and that is

where I was yesterday… on the graves of my

daughter’s father, my second husband.  And

the King’s  sister, mother and father. 

And we put some on those who were in our lives

over the years.

A child who died tragically, my boss, who died

too young.  We walk thru the peacefully place

of rest of those we love. Remembering what

was.

Tomorrow.. June 1^st.. is the beginning of the

New adventure/journey for the King and I, as

we start out retirement years together. I have

Been retired for 12, almost 13 years now.

And the beginning of Summer for us.  

 

Seneacquoteen Cemetery Memorial Services... 2016

..

 

This is the Man who ran it all...  When we first got there.. they were missing one person..
So they asked the King to help out with their practice... which he was honored to do.

It was great to see the women there as well...

It also was great to visit with friends...

Here is the real crew of riflemen... and the start of the program.

There was quite a few people there.. this is the 3 years... for it .

And of course it is hard for the little guys to stay in tune with the program.. so this one
found a way with the sun and shadows to do hand puppets..

Retirement coming up.....3 days and counting...

Next week…on Tuesday… the KING retires.

So he has 3 working days left.  As Monday is

A holiday.

To be honest with you.. I am looking forward

to it.  I have a whole list of honey do’s for him.

Some of which he has added to the list.

We have the front porch to redo this summer.

He wants to put in a French drain for the front

of the house. As the water comes off and floods

the area just 2 feet from the porch.

In August we have a son getting married. We

have a good friend whose health hasn’t been

very good this year and he is in his 80’s. So

time spent there.   Also a trip to the oldest,

to see her new house. And also a stop by

for the day, another son’s place, as we have

not seen that either. It is a farm.

Then the rest of the year is filled with promises

of walking in the am.. and working on the 47

Ford pick up.

Money will be a little tighter, and juggling

getting health insurance lined out…

Yea, I think we can do this.

 

Fridays are not for me..

An old, old writing…

Found this among my paper work,

It was written in 2002, before I

Started writing a blog. And while

I was still in the work force. It’s title is:

Count me out next Friday….

I have decided I am not doing Friday’s anymore.

They just don’t work for me.

And it is a good thing I am not a believer of other

powers besides our Lord. Or I would be a nervous

wreck by this time coming Thursday’s.

Now you might think I am jumping the gun here..

But these last couple of  Friday’s have given me something to

think about. That maybe Fridays just don’t like me.

Which that is ok too, as I not fond of Monday’s

myself. 

What lead up to this thought is…

Last Friday, I called about my check..(never leave to chance about your automatic deposits) And sure enough it was there.. BUT only $81 worth.. it seems they over looked my vacation pay. And they have to mail it out as they only have one time only to deposit. Now that didn’t not make sense to me, but no sense going there anyway. Oh, I could have gone to pick it up.. 4 hour drive?? NOT.. so anyway, I went on my merry way, figuring that is not a problem. Just an annoyance.

At 1;14 I walked into my place of work, for a meeting that was planned last month. It was cancelled.. no word last night or when I left that morning at 6am.  You see I go to bed at 7am.. so to get back up at noon to go to a meeting that is mandatory is irritating… and just an annoyance. 

So I went to Wal-mart to look and buy some dishes that I really like. And they are a service of 8 for $20.. nice lighthouse dishes. I bring them home and wash the plates and dry them and put them in my glass cabinet. And then the little plates and cups.. so proud am I… then I get to the bowls.. 3 are broken… sigh… another annoyance. I take the bowls with box and receipt, to Wal-mart and the sweet little darling behind the counter tells me.. I have to go home and repack the other dishes and bring them back and she will trade me a new box. I asked her with all the nicety that I could muster up, you really don’t want me to go back home and take the dishes out of the cabinet and repack them and bring to the store. Oh, yes, she replies sweetly, it is store policy. My reply was NOT.. surely there is someone for me to talk to higher than you.. and I am still hanging by threads to my nicety. The other young lady who also is behind the desk ask what was going on.. when I asked for the manager by name. She told the sweet child to let me go get a new box and remove 3 good bowls and give them to me. She is a little upset but agrees. I go get the box, which by now I am wondering why did I have to go get the box, I didn’t break the dishes. Why me.. and this dang box was heavy and I was having to walk half the store with it. I get up to the desk and she takes the bowls out of the box, wraps them, and makes out paper work and has me sign it… all while she is complaining about how they would have to throw away the good dishes now that I have the bowls. Well, if she was trying to make me feel guilty.. ah ha ha.. you can never make a mother guilty. That is our specialty. We major in that. And I knew they would put them up the for display and sell them as single.

I get home.. and Ken’s time is not going any better. He order a propane tank. .. has been lining up this for 2 weeks. They put him off his 2pm appointment to 5:30pm. Small annoyance.. they get here

And I call him as he had to be at the church at 5:30 to set up for Awana. They look at the spot and the tubing and say to me.. oh, we can’t install this tank today. That tubing is illegal.. and who sold this tubing to him? The very same company that is delivering the tank. When Ken asked for the tubing and what tubing he should use… they gave him that one. Not the wrapped one which he was suppose to have. Now my mother did not raise any fools here…I looked a them and then him driving in.. and say.. glad it is you guys who are telling him that. I left. I went into the house.  Ken and the blue air followed him in to the house.. and the back out. They gave him the wrap and he had to redig up the tubing. Major annoyance.. Now that is just one Friday!

This Friday, last night… I almost made it thru it a without incident. In fact, Friday gave me the false feeling that all these were well. I work the night before as they need coverage for one of the gals who had an accident. So worked Thurs. came home Friday. Slept a little.

Ken came home.. he was sick.. he was fine by noon. Except his leg hurt. I went and got some money and took our grandson down to the sub store, he get his sandwich and went home. Everything is good. They go to Awana looking sharp.

In my mind the sound of them returning home from Awana. Then a blood curling scream from our grandson.. Ken yelling and crash of glass sound all in one moment time. Now I don’t know about you.. but to be woke up like that… I just can’t stroll out and say.. hi, guys, what’s up?

I ran out asking as I went. .WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??

They both looking towards the dining room, eyes like saucers.. and I slowly looked over there.. to see my new dishes… on the floor.. broken in what appears to be a million pieces. I now have a service of 8 plates, 8 small plates 1 bowl,..2 cups.. oh, yes, my other favorite dishes.. that was near them.. well I have 8 plates..8 small dishes..2 bowls and 2 cups. I looked at it and I said.. well, THE LORD GIVETH AND THE LORD TAKETH AWAY.. and started to pick up the big pieces and Ken got the garbage can from outside. And the vacuum cleaner… that is when I decided maybe Fridays don’t like me…so next Friday.. count me out.. I am sleeping thru . So you all have good Fridays   and I will see you on Saturday..

I retired the next year.. and Friday’s decided to leave me alone.   

 

New computer blues

My old computer shit the bed...went Democrat as my uncle 
use to say. So I researched and researched and came up 
with what looked like the best deal for my budget. 

So early Monday morning.. UPS comes up and drops off
my package.  I took a bit and then open the box.  I looked
at it. Took deep breathe and open the computer.  The
instructions so to speak that they send with it..That even
with a magnified glass was hard to read. Luckily it was short. 

So another deep breathe and I turn it on.  I followed the
questions and answer part fairly easy.  Then it was time
to open explorer and set up mail box. That took a few 
repeated steps, going back to the old machine which
I was clinging to like life line. 

So there I was.. I had mail set up.. kind of. No toolbar
damn if I know where or how that comes up. As I
want to add to my email address.. Used help, and
it keeps telling me to use the toolbar.. Where the 
hell is the tool bar? It is under tools.. well, if I don't 
have a tool bar.. I sure the hell don't have tools. 
Skip that for a while. 

Went to explorer.. found Facebook.. look up
password. Tells me that is an old password.. 
That I had changed that 8 weeks ago. So go
to reset... put in old password.  Now I have 
Facebook.  

Put in my blog, that was easy. Oh, but I 
have not figured out how to get icons on the
desktop. They have something called pin tiles. 
Deep, deep breathe... 

I think it is time to bring in the big guns. 
Some one younger than me. But at least
I am not drinking the wine yet.. so there
for not drunk.  lol. 

Electronic is not my forte. I am actually
proud of myself, that I have gotten this far. 

When I was a kid...what do you remember?

We have all hear the stories that our parents

told us, of when they were a kid.. You know

“walked 5 miles in the 6 feet of snow to get

to school”….brag, right?   And then there is

the I worked for a nickel a day when I was a

kid.. etc..  Of course there were some true

stories of gas being 10 cents a gallon, and

stamps being 3 cents and only getting a

75 cents  an hour for wages with no bennies.

And etc… all true..

I can say.. gas was 15 cents a gallon, and

we got free stuff with fill ups. Free pitcher

with 8 fill ups with free glasses as you got

those fill ups. And then of course, there

was green stamps and blue chip stamps

they gave and when you filled up the books

with them .. you got free merchandise you

sent away for. Some cities actually had

a store in their area.  I never was near

one.  Also there were cigarettes that gave

coupons on their packs as well as their

cartons, the you redeemed for free stuff.

And my first job was paying $1 an hour.

We did have to walk to school or

to the bus stop but it was only about

a mile. And yes it was in the snow..but

if it was over 6 inches.. they cancelled

school.  Yes, we did have party lines

for phones. And you had to count the

rings to know if it was for you. And

yes, there were whistles in town to

let you know there was a fire some

where.. You looked at your chart on

the wall next to the phone to see

where it was by the number of times

the whistle went off.. Two shorts, one

long and etc.. 

Chicken was 21 cents a pound with hamburger

being about the same..  Can goods were about 10

cents a can for the standard 15 oz.   Yes, we all

at least everyone we knew, had respect for the

President of the United States.. and you probably

knew your guy in Washington DC.  Not that we

all agreed with them, but respected them.

That kids respected adults. That you were glad to

get a job.  That most went from high school to jobs

or the service. Only the ones with well off parents

went to college.   Rarely was any credit given. Only

thing you had on payments was your house if you

were lucky enough to buy one… and maybe a car.

But stores were cash only…

People pretty much had respect for each other.

Stealing? You went to jail. No plead bargains.

And you got in worse trouble when you got home.

It truly was a different world then…. I remember

It all well…

My question is.. what is it my kids remember?

And most of all.. in 30 years what is the hardships

that the generation that is in school now going to

remember?

LOST IN THE 50'S 2106