Saturday, November 15, 2008

A Senior Moment

Sunday was cold and wintery in Minnesota. Scott and I decided to go to the Science Museum and take in a movie at the Omnitheater. While there we also thought we would try and buy a lifetime pass to our National Parks since we plan to live in our motor home and visit as many National and State Parks as we can.
I have reached that age where I could buy one for ten dollars. While the person was taking the information to set up my card I got that felling of excitement that I had reach another millstone in life where I was old enough for something.
 
My mind wandered back in time to the first time that happened. I had just turned sixteen I was getting off the bus from my cleaning job and the neighbor boy was there to meet me. He walked me up the long dark lane to the old straw roofed house where I lived with my family. Before I went through the gate to our front door he kissed me and said "you are my dearest". That was the last time I saw or heard for him in those days.We all left home young to find work so that was the end of sweet sixteen and never been kissed.

Next time came to mind was twenty one. I was of legal age to go to the bar and have a drink and a cigarette with my friends. Since I was of age during the"Wood Stock" days I could have also gone to the country roads and maybe found a joint. It was not about the bar, the drink, the cigarette, or the joint, it just was cool to be old enough to do it.
 
Just as I was enjoying memories of the past the person getting my card ready said sign your card. He brought me back to the moment of being a senior. I do not have any trouble finding a joint now, arthritis finds them for me.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day


Thank you America, for the freedom to vote for the person of my choice without being stoned to death.
Scott and I walked hand in hand to the little church on the corner of our street in Edina, Minnesota and voted. We walked home again feeling good about our freedom and for the first time in my life I watched minute by minute the returns coming in. It was not about who I voted for or my beliefs, it was about this great country that adopted me making history. I also found a great inner strength that I could do anything I wanted to do if I was willing to work hard for it. If I was only a little younger this would be my time. Young people of America go out there and be what you want to be. Since I have already worked 40 year of my life my dream is seeing this great country and giving back to her for the freedom she has given me. "Where is my Motor coach"

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The Stuff of life

When I came to America I was carrying a small bag with a few clothes in it. A big adventure,
young and free. I made friends fast. Most Americans seem to love the Irish.

It must have been clean up week because when I went to the sidewalk one day people had put out old stuff for the garbage man. It was still good stuff! I took the stuff for my new apartment and the stuff made the apartment looked great!

I found a job fast as a waitress those jobs were a dime a dozen in those day. Then payday came and because I never had money before I bought some of my own new stuff. With many more paydays and paychecks I accumulated lots more new stuff . I then found I had to put some of my own old stuff out on the sidewalk. I even had to get another job to pay for more new stuff.

When Scott and I became friends and we decided we wanted to spend the rest of our life together we bought a house. I just loved decorating it with all new stuff.

For the next 20 years we bought and sold and fixed up houses. Each time we did we had to buy new stuff for the new house. Now I had lots and lots of stuff. We bought a little lake lot and built a house on it then I had to get more stuff to fill that up too. We had a double garage in town and a single garage at our lake house.

I did not like how clutered they were, so we bought a piece of land and built a big shed on it to store all of our extra stuff in. I liked that, because our garages were not so cluttered. Now we were working very hard to pay for all that land, houses, cars and stuff.

One of my favorite's things to do after work was go to the gym with my friend Kim. Scott would meet me there later to lift weight's together one night while I was at my favorite class, Scott came up to me and asked how would you like to go to work in Holland for two years. I said yes without even another thought. The next day I thought what will I do with all my stuff?

To make a long story short we sold our lake house to a coworker and he wanted all the stuff that was in the house. He then he asked if he could buy the land and the big shed for all his stuff that used to be our stuff. We sold it to him. We also gave some stuff away and we stored some stuff for our return. Off we went with only our clothes in a suitcase. We felt so liberated in Europe we hiked and traveled all over "see our hikes for more on that."

It's been seven years since our return to America I am still downsizing and trying to buy only our needs not our wants. There is still days when I fail. I do not get down on myself I look at it as one step backward two steps forward.

Our dream is to travel and hike and live in a motor home. Can't have much stuff in a motor home! More on that coming up.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Sunday 12th October


Today is my first try at posting in my blog. I know I have a long ways to go to learn how it all goes together. If you get a good laugh that would make me even happier.

Notice how hard I am working on it I am still in my pajamas.

I am really excited about it because my goal is for me to stay a little closer with family and friends on this new journey in my life. More on that when I know what I am doing with this. I also think it would be nice if they could go see what I am doing on their own time, without me writing them every day and not being sure they really want to hear from me. Have a really good Sunday.
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