Never Say Never

Nothing in life is absolute. As I got older I learned to "never say never". Sometimes circumstances in life guide us into changing our perspective. Things that we swore we would never do become the right things for us to do. It could be a simple thing like eating a new food or visiting a new place. I like to leave situations open ended. When my children were small I knew a woman who advised me to use the term "we'll see". She said that by using that term I would avoid alot of crying, nagging and tantrums. She was right. From that point on, I lived in a "we'll see" world. It makes life so much easier.

Lifetime Guarantee

I was talking with friends the other day and the subject of lifetime guarantees came up. We reminisced about when we first moved into our homes and hired contractors to do some home improvements. The concept of a thirty year guarantee on a roof or vinyl (aluminum in those days) siding was very important to us. We were young, married couples in our thirties and felt a sense of security knowing that our hard earned money would not be foolishly spent. It was a selling point. Thirty years later some of the original home improvements need to be updated. When contractors come for estimates and confidently say there is a thirty year guarantee, we laugh. We will be in our 90's in thirty years and if we need to put the guarantee into play, we will be hard pressed to even remember where the papers are.

See You Soon

In a few hours, I will be having breakfast with my son and daughter in law before they get on the road to go back home to Massachusetts. The morning will fly by, as things usually do when you want them to last. Our tradition is a bagel breakfast. As I sit and ea,t I watch as each bite moves towards goodbye. I try to get in as much conversation as I can while I have them here. It just isn't the same on the phone. I will see them again in a few months before the baby is born but that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier. My family had such a nice time at dinner last night and those memories will be with me until we do it again. One day I will stow away in the back of their car.

Happy Birthday

Today is my husband's 60th birthday. I cannot believe I am married to someone that old. He looks much younger than his age. As I recently heard someone say "sixty is the new fifty". If anything newsworthy would happen to him, the headline would read "an elderly man". He was born on a lucky day. 7-11. Today, he can get a free Slurpee as 7-11 gives them away to everyone on this day. I guess it is their birthday also. We will celebrate this milestone by spending the day with our children and having a family dinner at a local restaurant. At 60 years old, he can still get into more trouble than a barrel of monkeys. I guess that is what keeps me young.

The Gang's All Here

Last night at 11pm my son and daughter-in-law pulled into my driveway. They are here for a 3 day visit. I was thrilled to see them. I set them up in my son's old room. Every time he visits he says that he feels like a giant in a tiny space. After many years we have concluded that the building standards in Massachusetts are different than in New York. Kitchen and bathroom counter tops are at a higher level where they live. Even a few inches makes a big difference. Bathroom light switches must be placed outside of the room, while I have them on the inside. Each time he visits he rummages through his old desk drawers hoping to find a treasure. Each time he finds something new that he takes home with him. This time it was a container of wheat pennies from the 1940's. I never cleaned out his drawers when he relocated so there are items in them that have been untouched since 2004. When they are here the family circle is complete.

Art Show

I just came back from an art show. Not the kind of art you frame and hang on a wall. The kind of art you wear. I was at the town pool and realized that I could spend an hour just looking at people's tattoos. Men and women. I saw snakes, angel wings, numbers, Chinese writings (on non Asian people), faces, cartoon characters and a few baby footprints. All sizes and all colors. It was fascinating. Some people had so many that they were morphing into one big jumble. I wondered what each picture meant to the person who was wearing it. Then I saw a large tattoo of a Jewish star on a woman's back. It was four inches in diameter. I swam up to the woman and saw that she was wearing a crucifix. Now, I am trying to put the puzzle together. Hugh Jewish star, bigger cross. When I got closer I saw the other tattoos on her back. A cluster of snowflakes. The large tattoo was a six pointed solid colored snowflake but it was also a Jewish star. She probably had no idea what it looked like from far away.

Too Much Protocol

Years ago society in general was more formal. We had Emily Post to guide proper etiquette. Now we seem to be going it on our own and not doing such a great job. Let me give you an example. In the 1950's wedding invitations were sent out four weeks in advance. In the 1970's we bumped it up to six weeks. Then it became eight. Now ten weeks in advance is not uncommon. For some reason we then became insecure and felt the need to give advanced notice that an invitation would be coming in the future. Hence, the save the date came into being. That is where the trouble began. The save the dates were sent out six months in advance, then eight months and now they are sent nine months. Friendships can drastically change in nine months. People that you wanted in June may no longer be close to you in March. People that were only acquaintances in January might be your best friend in September. If you sent a save the date you are obligated to send an invitation. If you did not send the save the date the person may take the invitation as a second thought invite. I want to go back to the 1950's. Send me an invitation four weeks before the event and if I am free I will be there.