Collect Call

Years ago whenever we traveled we did not have cell phones. When we wanted family to know we were safe at our destination we made a collect call. I saw a television commercial this week making a parody out of that scenario. It brought back funny memories. In the commercial, a man places a call to a family member and when the operator says,  "Who can I say is calling", the man responds, "Wehadababyboy Heseightpounds". I remember making up names like that when I called my parents. Those were the good old days.

Loose End

I have begun to work on my family history again and have spoken to two of my cousins. We were trying to put together a story that no one one can tell. How did my mother's mother die? We knew she was sick but no one has the exact answer. For some reason my mother and her younger brother totally blocked out any memories of her. My mother was almost 15 and her brother was 11 when their mother passed away. I heard that she had stomach cancer. Another cousin heard it was appendicitis. The brother's son heard nothing at all. I was thinking how I could get a clue to what happened. I went on the internet and searched death records. I found the record number and decided to write the department of health records for a copy of the death certificate. For fifteen dollars, I might get some sort of an answer. In a few weeks I will know.

More Reflective

It is the new year and I feel more reflective than in other years. As I am living in the present, I am realizing that my future does not end the day I breathe my last breath. I have been through a spiritual awakening this year. I have seen and felt things that I have never experienced before. I take comfort in that. The comfort of knowing that I will be "here" in some form for eternity, doing what god has intended for me.

Slow Motion

My computer is running in slow motion. I have been sitting here for 25 minutes waiting for the blog to open up. I have no time to write it now as I have a lot of things to do today. Maybe it needs a one day rest.

My Keepsakes

Since I have begun working on my family history book again, I have come across more keepsakes. For decades, I have kept birthday cards. When the birthday week is over, I just cannot throw away cards from people I love. I cannot see their sentiments and handwriting be tossed into the basket. They get put in a pile and stashed into a drawer. And that is where they have remained for 40 years. I opened them this weekend and put the most meaningful ones into my family book. I have postcards from my grandparents along with them. Handwriting is a reminder of the sentiments that people wished for us and makes the person live on forever in our hearts.

Back To Work

It has been a week since I went to work. Today is my first day back and I wish I could stay in bed. I do not want to be retired, I just do not want to go to work. I like knowing I have somewhere to go for a few hours each day. I like being with my coworkers. I like doing creative work projects but I realized that I have outgrown real work. I did it for thirty years. It's enough. So off I go, back to the old grind, waiting for 2pm so I can go home.

2019

It is the first day of a new year. I hope that 2019 is a better year than 2018. As usual, I never saw the ball drop. Just the thought that "the ball is being dropped" at the first moment of a new year, makes me laugh. If the ball is dropped now, where does the year go from here? I can only hope that the new year is filled with health and happiness.