Oh, wow!

 Every September I remember the reasons I retired.

 One is - It has to be the most beautiful month of the year around here. Unless you count June.  I was always inside school at the beginning and end of the school year.  Testing, scoring.  Going from class to class.   It is perfectly gorgeous outside. 

And it's Sunday.  I think all Sundays should be sunny, bright.  Rain just doesn't fit in the picture.  Luckily, with our schedule of being here and in Florida, rain seems to seldom happen.  Actually that's not true, but don't tell me otherwise. 

 If you're retired - How lucky can you be. No need to be inside. 

Today was the first day of the Sunday School year, so church was changed from 9:30 to 10:30.  It took some getting used to for us and I'm sure  others.  We had breakfast first and then ended up early to church.  New schedule.  New thinking.  It was okay, but next week will be better.

Last Sunday I played in church.  I think I should do that more often.  I really like to  share beautiful  music.  The congregation responded  nicely too.  I even had people come up to me today and say how much they enjoyed it.  And when was I going to do that again? Which made me want to.  Perhaps I'll try to before we go South.  The choir is back, but I could play for the Offertory.

They were selling chrysanthemums after church today to support the church campers.  We bought two - should have bought a lot more.  Next year. 

We had a visitor Friday night.  Someone we haven't seen in quite some time.  Ida. (Ida's in sixth grade now.  Yes, I know!  Where have the years gone? Our little four-year old flower girl is growing up, and growing up, indeed.  She's quite taller than me.  To her joy and my chagrin.) 

 Her parents went down to NYC to visit Lee and see a football game.  Lee's on the team.  Sharon thought it wasn't a good idea for Ida to miss half a day the first week of school.  They had to leave around 1:00 to get there in time for the night game.  We were very happy to have her stay overnight with us.   So, Paul picked her up from school and brought her home . 

I had been to Bath for the day and got home after she got here.  They had concocted the most wonderful smoothie - and left some for me!  To cool my hot tongue! It was yummy.  Made from frozen fruit, milk, ice and a chocolate bar.  It even gave me a headache.  I'm thinking I'd like to have one tonight.  Minus the headache. 

Friday, I went to Bath and had lunch with my good friends, Carol O, and Ruth.  What a treat to see them!  We had lunch at the Chat a Whyle restaurant.

 I got to Bath a little early, so I had a chance to make a quick drive through the Fruit Loops (Peach St. house) and I noticed that the green shutters are getting faded and should be replaced.  The ones in the sun look like they're grey.   The trees are getting enormous.  There's a sign out front that the house is for sale, and it says "You should see inside!"  Yes. How about it?   I'd like to. 

The purpose for my Bath visit was to see the eye doctor for my annual contact lens check up.  All okay.  But I noticed as I pulled into their new facility, which was beautiful BTW, there was an old old lady pulling into the parking place next to me.  I knew she looked familiar, but it took me a while to get her located in my mind.

 It was my son's third grade teacher.  Oh my.  She's been retired for decades.  So, when we got inside, I introduced myself, and to my surprise, she remembered me, remembered where I lived - Montour Falls - of course that was a while ago, but wasn't that something else that she remembered me and where I had lived?

  We had a nice conversation before she was called in by the doctor.  Small-town living.  Everyone knows about everyone.  And if you don't have alsheimers, your mind is a receptor of people information.

 The eye doctor sat down across from me and said with a straight face (actually he was smiling)- I never change.  Liar, liar - pants on fire.  I have gained weight from the medication I'm taking. My face is getting round.   And, with the red marks on my arms from the bruising, you can find 1. A heart 2. Australia. 3. A faded old bruise shaped like Florida.  Plus others I can't identify.  Vanity, thy name is woman.

Speaking of aging. . . my retired teacher friends always have a luncheon the first day of school.  This year it happened to be on Thursday.  So I went. I hadn't been able to go for several years, due to conflicts.   I was slightly apprehensive about going until I saw that I wasn't the only one getting older.  Hey - it's just nice to see people and speak with them and see what's going on in their lives.  Everyone was happy to see me.  And I was happy to see them.  And that's the way it should be.  There were 22 of us.

 It reminded me of class reunions after high school.  The first couple of decades, or the first decade, everyone is checking out how people are doing.  How they look.  After that, it gradually becomes about the people that attend -   until you reach the 50th or more and you're just happy to see people and know that you have this bond of childhood memories. 

 This week was a hodge-podge of doctor visits.  Both Paul and me.  Mostly, follow-through visits.  That's how they make their money - on old people like us.  If you have an ache or pain - You get referred to go see a specialist.  Now I need to find specialists in Florida to carry on the work of the doctors up here.  That'll be my goal next week - on the phone. 

My Southern Relatives say that it's HOT.  Well, it better cool off by the end of October when we come down, or I will have an unhappy husband.  And me too.  I think there's a good chance it will.
Cool off.

Cousin Carol seems to be doing well with her dialysis.  She should be quite proud.  I understand she drove herself to it.  I'm not sure if this is a permanent thing, but even once - that's a wow factor. 

Brother Bob is now situated in Alpharetta, GA and seems to be so happy.  That makes me SO happy.  He has family around and does not have to worry about any problems to do with housing.  There's a good chance we'll see him before we go South.  Each time I've called his cell phone, he's been at a party with Jon and his family. 

I understand Bill has some new friends down in Punta Gorda.  He's had them to his house to play cards.  And he's playing pool.  Way to go!

Vincent started third grade on Tuesday.  Wow - where has the time gone.  Seems like last year he was in Kindergarten.  Evie turns 4 this month on Lue's birthday.  Walter is 19 months.  Nancy and Dan have hands full, working full time, and carting kids here and there- to daycare, school, after school activities. 

Parents these days are completely filled with their children's lives.  I'm not saying it's bad or good, but just different.  Not completely different.  We did too, but not to the extent they are.  Maybe it's because they grew up in Bath, a small town.  Nancy and Dan live in Chicago.  There IS a difference there.

 Vincent has been taking piano lessons  at home.  What a bonus that is!  No need to go out.  The teacher comes to him.  I can remember doing that when I started teaching piano.  Going to houses was great.  It got me out of the house. I was making money.  Life was good.

 Life is good!

Just practicin'. Gracie Photos.



She knows something's in there of hers.

SDS - Small Dog Syndrome.  Very bad manners for a dog which are overlooked
when dogs are a small breed. 

 

She doesn't even know she's posing.

She goes up and down those stairs three times faster
than I can.  She's saying - What's takin' you so long?

Gracie's Big Friend: Greta.