April 4th

Today took me back to a lot of my memories. Of course, that leads me back to thinking about Charles. Until his dying day he would always say that our first date was April 4th. He couldn't remember the year, but that date was really special to both of us. Tonight I went to a singles dinner and special entertainment. It was a guy who sang many 50's and 60's songs. I've always said my life is like a song and so many of the songs brought those times rushing back to me. One of the songs was Last Date and I thought about my mother. That was one of her favorite songs played by Floyd Cramer. He would tell the year the song was popular and I would think, I was 12 or I was 14 and it is so hard to imagine how much has happened in the years I've been living. I told my friend, Jeanie today that I feel like I've lived so many different life times. She said, you've done a lot of things. Looking back I wonder how my life would have changed if I had made just one different decision. Then I thought, no, I might not have met Charles and he was the great love of my life. I owe so much to him. I couldn't be where I am today if I had not met him. Thank you, Charles, for April 4th! DR 4/4/16

Jeanie and Nathan

Jeanie and Nathan have been my friends for almost 50 years. It's funny, but when I first met them I felt that I wasn't good enough to be their friends. Now I realize I can't spend another day without their friendship. I knew Eric and Lisa when they were just little and were in the children's church. I told Jeanie one day after church that Eric had sung the sweetest little song about a lamb. She said the only song he knew was "Bah, Bah Black Sheep." We had a laugh. I've had so many good times with the Chandlers. One time Jeanie came up to our house and played my piano for Charles. She was playing out of what she called the "red" hymnal. I said why is it called red when mine is green??? After a few songs, she said call out a number and she would begin to play and sing that song. I really tried to stump her but I couldn't. Charles thought she was the smartest woman around. When they came back from being missionaries in Honduras, I got her to go to training in BeautiControl Cosmetics. I went also, and well, all I can say it was definitely an experience I will never forget! When my husband first got sick, Jeanie was my prayer partner. One day she called me and said she work up in the middle of the night and looked at the clock and it said 3:16 a.m. She knew she was supposed to pray for Charles and she started off by reciting John 3:16. Friends, what can I say? Both Jeanie and Nathan have always been here for me even when I thought I was so low nobody could love me. They are true friends and I have seen the love they have for each other. Oh, if all marriages could be like theirs. Happy 58th Anniversary to two of my favorite people! DR 3/30/16

Thoughts

Today we had our big breakfast meeting with my company downtown. We had a couple of different speakers, one was from the Northeast and the other was from Oregon/California. The thing that stood out to me were a couple of statements made by both of them that they never pray publicly and they had not said the Pledge to Allegiance since school. I thought to myself how lucky we are to live in the South where these things are a way of life for us. I am also thankful to work for a company who starts our meetings with prayer. Several of us talked about this afterwards and we agreed that we just take those things for granted. What are some of the things in your life that you take for granted? Think about that. DR 2/23/16

December 2015

This year I actually decorated for Christmas--not just a tree but my whole living room and outside too. I've had mixed emotions this month. My dad died December 21, 2011. I just can't believe he has been gone four years already. I went through Christmas that year not being able to have his funeral until December 27. I hear of so many people losing their loved ones this time of year and I know how hard it is. I sometimes wonder why we have to experience such grief. I do know that life goes on and we can truly be happy again. When my cousin died two years ago, I didn't know what I would do because he helped me with my house. That was my wakeup call to get my act together and sell my house. I really miss that house, but I'm so happy that now a family is in it. It has been quite an adjustment for me to get used to living in the "city" again. I love the convenience, and it's usually only five or ten minutes to get home again. I never realized how much time I spent on the road going to and from my house. I have so much to be thankful for this Christmas. My address is "8" which means "a new beginning." I never realized that my life this year is truly made up of new beginnings--new state, new house, new car, and a new someone in my life. Yes, God is good. DR 12/18/15

Stocking Full of Love

I really didn't know what to expect when I agreed to help with the "Stocking Full of Love." We got to Lafayette High School around 11 a.m. The first job was to have an assembly line to make the lunch bags for the bikers. There were several high school students and their teacher and Mrs. Land from Land's Bakery who instructed us on what to do. We made about 500 bags which had a napkin, Little Debbie, and a bag of chips. The next job was to wrap the hot dogs. I've never seen so many wieners and buns in one place. Again, we had an assembly line. We weren't entirely ready when the bikers arrived. They had met at Ridgeland High School and each one had a new toy for a child for Christmas. How I would loved to have seen those 392 bikers coming to Lafayette High School. I posted pictures yesterday, but I cannot begin to tell you how I felt inside to see the love that went into yesterday's event. They filled a trailer with the toys and some boys and girls are going to be so happy this Christmas. Thank you Ron for inviting me to participate. DR 11/9/15 "

Downsizing

I'm a real estate agent. I have helped a lot of people "downsize". I actually thought the term a really good one, that is, until it happened to me. Downsizing. I'm back into my boxes in the garage. What do I do with all of this "stuff"? I remember one time when my husband asked our CPA how long we should keep our tax records. David said at least seven years to be safe. Charles said, So Diane can start getting rid of her taxes from 1963???? Yes, that's me. Pack rat who saves every receipt. When I moved, it just got to be too much to sort and Nancy and I just started throwing everything into boxes. The sad part is that I had been doing that for the past year. I know the guy at the dump wondered how I accumulated so much junk. My Dodge Ram Quad Cab truck was always packed. Well, here I am at it again. Should I keep, should I throw away? It's kind of like, well I haven't seen the stuff in the past 20 years, but I think I'm going to need it. My office right now barely has a little walkway to my chair. I'm surrounded by boxes of probably nothing I will ever need the rest of my life. I could put all of this in the attic and leave it for Christi to go thru. I can't put that off on her. And you know, there are still some things that I cannot find. I know where they used to be in the other house, but where they are now, no one knows. All I can say is, I hate that word "Downsizing." DR 10/21/15

September 1, 2015

Today, 31 years ago was one of the happiest days of my life. When you get married, you think it will be forever. In your marriage vows you say "until death do you part", but at that time you really don't think about it. I can tell you it's a different life. I'm thankful I had 25-1/2 years with Charles. Before we got married I told him that there were two things I didn't want in our vows. I would never be submissive and I would never obey. He looked at me and laughed and said, I don't want you to. I want you to learn to be independent and do things on your own. I thought, hmmm, this man is a keeper. I can say it's easy to be submissive and obey when you're in the right relationship. It's a two way street. I guess the first big thing Charles taught me was when I took my first airplane trip to Dallas. He wanted me to go to a big conference by myself. I talked about it so much that my friend, Cherry, told me that she would go with me to that thing in Dallas if we could visit South Fork. At that time the TV series, Dallas, was really a big hit. I said ok. Little did I know then that Cherry and I neither one have any sense of direction. We rented a car and how we found South Fork I'll never know. When we got ready to go to the airport, I was dreading the trip because I was afraid we would get lost. GPS was not available back then. When I came around the hotel to pick Cherry up, she had a woman with her and told her she could go to the airport with us. I'm sure that woman wishes she had never set foot into our car. Yes, we did get lost inside the airport trying to find the Hertz rental car place. Cherry said, I'll pray and you drive. About that time, a Hertz bus showed up and Cherry said follow that bus. When we stopped, that lady got out and I think she ran. We never saw her again. But, I'll never forget the look on Charles' face when I left. He looked like, what am I making her do. I learned on that first trip that I love to fly. I called him as soon as we landed and told him everything was fine and I loved the plane ride. He seemed so relieved. Charles was my husband, my lover, my best friend, my cheer leader, my counselor and I could go on and on. He had faith in me that I could do things that I didn't think I could do. He taught me so many things but he never taught me how not to be lonely, how not to miss him, but because of him I knew that I could make it. Jeremiah 29:11 kept showing up to me in so many ways after he died. I kept asking God--what are you trying to tell me???? I know now that this verse shows up at times when I need it. Times when I know that God is telling me He still has plans for me. Will I ever love again? I don't know. I would like to think so. I do know that no one can ever replace Charles. I know I'm not looking for someone just like him. I want to keep him the unique, special person he was to me. I can honestly say he was the great love of my life. DR 9/1/15

National Dog Day, 2015

Today was National Dog Day. I've done a lot of thinking about my Yorkie, Chloe, today. I got her a little less than two weeks before my husband died five years ago. My dog, Tag, had just died and I didn't want another dog. We had had Tag 11-1/2 years. Tag died a day after my mother died. But, Charles begged me to get Chloe and he even named her. After he died, Chloe was my comfort. I cried myself to sleep every night and she would lick my tears. Chloe was there for me every minute of every day while I grieved. I have had dogs all of my life, but I have to admit that Chloe is more spoiled than any dog I've ever had. I have loved every dog. You know you can be so upset and walk in the door and when that little dog is jumping up and down and so happy to see you, all the upsetting goes away. Yes, they are a lot of trouble. They require a lot of care. So many times, I wish Chloe could talk. And then again, I'm glad she can't. Oh the secrets she could tell about me. It's nice to have a friend that will never tell on you. National Dog Day is really National Friend Day for me. DR 8/26/15

The Number "8"

A lot has been going on in my life this year. I sold my home and had a house built. It was really hard for me to leave the home that Charles and I built. I had so many memories there. I knew after my cousin died that I could not keep that house up, so that was my wake up call to leave. Charles had begged me before he died to sell it. He knew that it would be difficult for me to maintain. I always dreaded summer because of the two acres that had to be mowed. Anyway, I was at the new location and my builder told me that he had my address. I said ok, what is it? He said "8". I already knew the street name. I told him I had never had a single digit number for an address. I thought to myself why couldn't it be 7. In the Bible that means completion of man. I was telling my friends Jeanie and Nathan, and Nathan told me what the number "8" means. He said it means "new beginning." I have to say it gave me chills. How ironic. Yes, this year has been "a new beginning." Even at my age, a new beginning for me. I also traded my car and truck and bought a new car. Everything in my life is new. I can't say it has been easy, but I think Charles would be proud. He taught me well. He taught me how to be independent and take care of myself, but he didn't teach me how to not be lonely. I do thank God everyday for my friends and family. Don't ever think you are too old for a new beginning and a chance to start over. DR 5/3/15

Goodbye

I’m not very good at saying goodbye. And there are all sorts of goodbyes. The worst goodbye is the final one. I’ll never forget the day the Hospice nurse told me that Charles go at any time. That was the only day we couldn’t communicate. He could hear me and he tried so hard, but couldn’t. Debbie had gone home to get a shower and sleep some, and so I put my arms around him and I told him how much I loved him and that it was time for him to go. He had suffered long enough. I then went through all the things that he had worried about leaving me with. I even lied about a few of them and told him they had been taken care of. It was the hardest goodbye I ever did. I knew I would never see him alive on this earth again. All I would have would be memories, and yes, I have many good ones. I’m thankful that I did get to tell Charles goodbye. So many of my friends never had that chance. I just don’t know how that feels. Then there was a goodbye I shared last night. My youngest grandson has left for the Marines. I am so proud of him. He’s going to be the best looking Marine ever. I told him that of all the militaries, I love the Marine uniform the best. I looked at him and he is so young. Too young to drink and vote, but not too young to defend our country. I told my daughter that he will be back. I know it’s hard for his parents. The oldest just got married, and now the youngest has left for boot camp. In this life, we have so many difficult things we have to do, but I think the hardest thing we do is say goodbye. DR 1/11/15

Make a List of Everything You Want.....

When I was in junior high school, my dad told me one Christmas to make a list of what I wanted. I thought I would give him plenty of choices, so I filled an entire notebook page. When Christmas came, he had bought me everything on that list—down to the last detail. Boy, did my mother get mad, but I was overjoyed. One thing he bought me that I still have is a ring with my birthstone—a white sapphire with two diamonds in a white 14 karat gold setting. It’s still as pretty today as it was then. We didn’t have a car until I was in high school. My dad rode the bus to town every Saturday. He always bought me a book. He knew I loved mysteries and it was always a Nancy Drew or Trixie Beldon mystery. Back then they were only 50 cents, but compared to today I’m sure that was a lot of money. I had a lot of pen pals, close to a hundred, and one day he came home and told me that I would need to cut down my list a lot. Stamps had gone up to 3 cents. I’m really telling my age now. I started thinking about my dad because three years ago he died on December 21. He had a stroke on December 10 and was paralyzed on his left side, couldn’t talk, drink, or eat. He laid like that until he died. It was a terrible thing to watch him die. He had opted to not have any artificial feeding devices. Before he died, I held his hand and thanked him for always being there for me. My mother was the one who disciplined me, and my dad was my defender. I thanked him for rubbing my legs when they hurt. I thanked him for doing my “chores” when I got sick. My mother worked from 3 to 11 each day and my dad worked from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., so I was with my dad a lot. I remember one time when I was playing outside with my tricycle and my little red wagon and my dad was sitting on the porch watching me. He was sitting in a straight backed chair leaning back against the wall. I kept begging him to take me somewhere. I can’t remember where. He finally gave in and when we came back a man had had a heart attack and his car ran into the side of the porch where he had been sitting and across the sidewalk where my tricycle and wagon were. The car had demolished everything. I guess we were supposed to keep on living. When I stood there holding his hand and talking to him, the tears rolled down his face, he couldn’t say a word. When I finished, Christi took his hand and told him some thank you’s also. I’ve been going through some videos and on them were my mother, dad, and Charles in healthier times. It was so good to see and hear them again. It just doesn’t help fill this hole I have inside of missing them. Hug your family and tell them how much you love them. Christmas isn’t all about things, it’s being with family and friends and celebrating the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus. DR 12/18/14

If

I’ve said that word so many times. “If” I could go back in time, “if” only I had done things differently. Now, I say, “if” only I could hear his voice again or “if” I could just see him one more time. Well, I got my chance. I’m going through some old videos. I wanted to put the videos of the construction of my house on a dvd. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw Charles again. Charles looking like he used to. Charles talking like he used to. No, I didn’t cry. For some reason, looking at all of these old videos gave me a peace that I cannot explain. Nancy was here with me watching. I popped in a video of one of our old family reunions. Yes, there was my mother and dad. Oh, I so miss the way they were. I miss going to their house. I miss taking my mother to Hamricks. I miss seeing my dad in his recliner. I miss my mother’s cooking. There are dishes that nobody will ever be able to copy, including me. I miss Charles sitting beside me in the computer room. I still find it hard to come in here. I miss seeing Charles walking back and forth between his two workshops. The last clock he made for me was during his time on Hospice. He could barely move. I asked him why is he doing this? He looked at me and said, “I don’t want you to ever forget me.” I told him then that I could never forget him. He was an amazing man. He taught me so much. He taught me to be independent. But, he didn’t teach me how to not be lonely. Of course, I have Chloe. She takes my mind off a lot of things. We take for granted the times that we spend with the people we love. There were so many on the reunion tape who are now dead. It was so good to see them again. Well, I can’t live with the “if’s” anymore. It looks like my future is my new beginning—my starting fresh. The only thing that I hate is that I’m “alone.” But, I do think that Charles would be proud of how much he really did teach me. DR 11/17/14

Tires

I don’t know what my problem is with tires. Nails just seem to find my tires, and for some reason I lose air out of my tires. The other night I came home rather late, pulled up to my mailbox, and I got a note that told me to check my tire pressure. When one of my tires gets to 26 pounds, the light comes on. My left front tire was at 26 pounds. As a matter of fact, all of my tires were under 30 pounds each. So, at almost midnight, I’m in my garage blowing my tires up. I knew that the next day I would be heading to Dayton to attend a wedding. The next day was rainy and foggy. I was all dressed up for the wedding, went out to my garage, started my engine, and guess what? I got a note to check my tire pressure. I couldn’t believe it. When I checked it, the left front tire only had 16 pounds of air. How could a tire lose that much air in just a few hours???? The other tires were the same as the night before. I got my air pressure pump out of the trunk, and pumped my tire up again. I didn’t even put it back into the trunk. I kept the dialog screen on all the way to Dayton. My tires were perfect. They were also perfect when I got back into my car to go home. To be honest, I’m afraid to go check them today. If, they are low again, I guess NTB will be seeing me again tomorrow. Thank goodness I always insure my tires. Sometimes I think I should buy cheap tires instead of the expensive ones. DR 7/20/14

My Emotional Rollercoaster

I never thought that cleaning out my house would become so emotional for me. After all it has been over four years, and yet, it seems like only yesterday. I talked with Leon’s wife last night and she said she misses Leon more now than ever. I told her I miss him too. My emotions start as soon as I turn onto Suck Creek Road. Leon retired from the cement plant and his last job was driving a truck. I look over to my left and I can still see him, and I would always wave. Then when I stop at my mailbox, it’s so lonely now that my aunt is not there, and I look up the hill and I know that my cousins have all moved away. I have always come home and gone straight to my room. It has been my place of comfort. In there, nobody sees me when I cry—only Chloe. She is very sensitive to my crying. I’ve done good until now. Now, I’m getting into all of the things that I have so tried to avoid. I’ve had offers of help, but I really want to be alone with this new emotional rollercoaster I seemed to have gotten on. I know that I will be able to come out stronger. Everyone handles their grief differently, and I certainly never thought that I would be this way. I recorded some old Matlock programs and when the first one came on, I started thinking back to how I would hurry home so I could watch the current ones with my dad. He loved Matlock. I stayed in a little house behind theirs while Charles was in Kentucky during the week. I worked in Cleveland. My dad would turn on his police scanner as soon as he thought I was leaving work. I had to work until 7 p.m. and Matlock came on at 8. One night there was a lady in a gray sports car turned upside down at Hamilton Place. My dad was walking the floor. He just knew it was me. I drove a gray RX-7 Mazda. He was so relieved when I came through the door. Yes, I miss him. I miss my mother. I miss that I could pick up the phone and tell her something silly and we would both laugh. I played the song, Just One More Day, and if only I could have just one more day. I took so many things for granted. If you live long enough, you’ll see those closest to you die. Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Treasure the moments you have with your family and your friends. Guess I’ll be on this emotional rollercoaster until I get out of here. I love it here. I have so many memories, but I need to move on and make new ones. DR 7/2/14

Emotional Rollercoaster

I never thought that cleaning out my house would become so emotional for me. After all it has been over four years, and yet, it seems like only yesterday. I talked with Leon’s wife last night and she said she misses Leon more now than ever. I told her I miss him too. My emotions start as soon as I turn onto Suck Creek Road. Leon retired from the cement plant and his last job was driving a truck. I look over to my left and I can still see him, and I would always wave. Then when I stop at my mailbox, it’s so lonely now that my aunt is not there, and I look up the hill and I know that my cousins have all moved away. I have always come home and gone straight to my room. It has been my place of comfort. In there, nobody sees me when I cry—only Chloe. She is very sensitive to my crying. I’ve done good until now. Now, I’m getting into all of the things that I have so tried to avoid. I’ve had offers of help, but I really want to be alone with this new emotional rollercoaster I seemed to have gotten on. I know that I will be able to come out stronger. Everyone handles their grief differently, and I certainly never thought that I would be this way. I recorded some old Matlock programs and when the first one came on, I started thinking back to how I would hurry home so I could watch the current ones with my dad. He loved Matlock. I stayed in a little house behind theirs while Charles was in Kentucky during the week. I worked in Cleveland. My dad would turn on his police scanner as soon as he thought I was leaving work. I had to work until 7 p.m. and Matlock came on at 8. One night there was a lady in a gray sports car turned upside down at Hamilton Place. My dad was walking the floor. He just knew it was me. I drove a gray RX-7 Mazda. He was so relieved when I came through the door. Yes, I miss him. I miss my mother. I miss that I could pick up the phone and tell her something silly and we would both laugh. I played the song, Just One More Day, and if only I could have just one more day. I took so many things for granted. If you live long enough, you’ll see those closest to you die. Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Treasure the moments you have with your family and your friends. Guess I’ll be on this emotional rollercoaster until I get out of here. I love it here. I have so many memories, but I need to move on and make new ones. DR 7/2/14

Moving On

Today Charles’ tools and equipment started being moved out. I thought I could handle it, because it has been over four years since he died. For the first two years, I couldn’t even enter either of his two workshops. He spent so much time in both of them. Even now I can see him walking from one workshop to the other one. He finished his last clock for me in January before he died in March. I don’t know how he did it. I asked him why was he working so hard on another clock, and his response to me was, “I don’t want you to ever forget me.” How could I ever forget him. This is the man that before we got married, I told him there are two things I didn’t want in her marriage vows. He asked me what? I told him I would never be submissive and I would never obey. He looked at me and said, “I want you to learn to be independent and do things on your own.” Not only did he give me my freedom, but he did teach me how to be independent. Plus, it was easy to be submissive and obey, because we both took our marriage as 50/50. Toward the end of his last days, it felt like Christmas almost everyday. As long as he could order online, the Fed Ex and UPS trucks kept our driveway hot. He tried to get me everything that I had ever mentioned. The one thing that I did not want was the convertible. My Honda Accord was almost new. I didn’t want another car. But he insisted. He wanted me to have a “fun car.” I can tell you it wasn’t fun for me until two years after he died. I heard the song, “Man I feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain and it made me feel happy. I had not had that feeling in a long, long time. I got my cousin next door and we made many trips with the top down, and each time we came home, I would say, “Thank you Charles for my fun car.” I know he must be smiling and saying, “Finally she’s getting her act together and getting out of that house.” He so wanted me to sell this house that we built together. Well, all I can say is that it is still emotionally hard for me to still say goodbye. Today I felt like part of my life was going down that driveway. But I have started moving on. DR 6/18/14

Jonathan

Last night my youngest grandson graduated from high school. Boy, how the years fly by. I was sitting beside his girlfriend, whom I really like. The memories came flooding back. Seems like just yesterday when he was born. We had one of the biggest snows that week. He was so little and cute. Now, he’s all grown up and has been accepted into the Marines. I asked his girlfriend how she felt about him leaving, and she said, “I’m proud of him, whatever he does.” I think he’s found the right one. The next graduation will be from basic training. Jonathan seems to know what he wants in life. He’s always so serious. Sometimes I can get him to loosen up, especially when I take him for a ride with the top down in my car. I couldn’t help but think last night, it has just been a few months since my 50th high school reunion. I wonder what will happen in Jonathan’s life the next 50 years. I hope he makes good choices. I made some good ones and some really bad ones. The thing is, how you end up. Those bad choices can actually make you a better, stronger person. I wish Jonathan all the success in life he deserves. I hope to live to see some of it. DR 5/23/14

Mother's Day - 2014

Today I have mixed feelings about Mother’s Day. I thought my mother would always be here. I guess we all feel that way until the day comes that they leave us. My mother was a good woman and I have many memories. I am an only child and my mother was very protective of me. Should I say “over protective”? I really don’t remember this very well but my mother told me that we were in Miller Brothers downtown and she was looking at the ladies dresses. I must have been about 4. She said I hid in between some dresses hanging on a rack and when she came over, I threw the dresses back and yelled “Mammy.” Needless to say, we had a long talk about what I should call her. I never called her that again. I remember the first day of school when I went to first grade. Most of the kids were crying and clinging to their mothers. My mother said I looked up at her and said, “Don’t you have some place you need to go?” My mother told me whatever I did I had better not get on the merry-go-round on the playground at school. Well, you guessed it, I did. Not only did I get on, but I was dragged around. I was skinned, bleeding, and bruised all over. Back then they didn’t take you to the emergency room, you just washed off the blood. My mother worked at night so when I got home from school I told my daddy and I told him she would kill me. He was always my protector from her. I heard her that night when she came home. My daddy told her what had happened and of course she wanted to punish me. He told her I had been punished enough. He said I don’t think she’ll go anywhere near that merry-go-round again. Escaped again! You guessed it, my mother was the discipline person. I really can’t remember my dad ever laying a hand on me. My mother and I had a love/hate relationship for a long time, but at some point we became really good friends. I could get upset with something and call her and we would talk about it until I got it out of my system. I miss that. So many times I’ve wanted to call her and just hear her voice again. Well, this is life as we know it here. I’m happy that I’ll see her again and there will be no more tears in Heaven. DR 5/11/14

Another One?

Tomorrow I celebrate another birthday. I feel torn between I’m glad I’m alive and oh I’m getting so old! I have a couple of birthdays that I remember very vividly. The only birthday I had trouble with was when I turned 25. I was so upset that my mother told me she would never wish me happy birthday again. Now, that’s getting pretty bad! I don’t know why the hangup on that age, only that I thought I would never have any children. But thankfully after my 26th birthday, Christi was born. She was born on Friday before Mother’s Day and it was the best Mother’s Day ever. The next birthday I remember was when I turned 50. I was born 45 minutes after President Franklin Roosevelt died, so I just knew there had to be something special at The Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Charles and I packed us a lunch and we headed there. It was a good thing I packed us food, because once the word that President Bill Clinton was going to be there, no one could leave. It was so exciting that there were thousands of people were there. I got frisked and the contents of my purse was emptied. I set off the alarms because I had on too much metal. Ex President Jimmy Carter was there and of course tons of Democrats. My 50th birthday was really special to me. That also reminds me of the time Charles’ mother first met me. Charles was 14 years older than me and she was curious about my age. She didn’t know the age difference, but she knew there was one. I told her I was born 45 minutes after President Roosevelt died. She looked at me, and then said, “Teddy”? I said, “No, Franklin.” Boy, that would have made me really old. We’ve always made a big deal out of our birthdays. I look back and I can’t believe I’ve made it to this age. No, I’m not telling. You’ll have to figure it out. It’s in all the history books. I still feel like I’m still young and I can remember my teenage days like it was yesterday. I am reminded of something Charles said and it applies to me also. He was on a Pool League with a bunch of really young guys one time. Charles said he felt just like one of them until he passed by a mirror. Yeah, the mirror tells it all. Birthdays—I am thankful for each one of them. DR 4/11/14

Really???

Today would have been my mother and dad’s 71st anniversary. I would like to picture them having that celebration in heaven, but we don’t really know how we will be after this life. But, it’s a pleasant thought for me. I started thinking back to something that happened many years ago. We had moved and I told our new neighbor that my parents were married on April 5th and I was born one week later. The neighbor told my mother what I had said, now remember I was just a little kid, and my mother nearly died. She said what Diane failed to tell you is that it was 2 years and one week later. My dad always told me that the day I was born he had two major disappointments. Both happened at the hospital. The first was that the doctor came out and told my dad that our president was dead. Yes, I was born 45 minutes after President Franklin Roosevelt died. The second disappointment was that the doctor came out and told my dad he had a girl. I guess every dad wants a son, but what my dad didn’t know at the time was how attached we would be. I was a daddy’s girl. My dad always took up for me no matter what I did. I don’t ever remember him ever spanking me or ever saying a critical word to me. My mother was the one to be feared. It’s a lonely life to be an only child, but my mother always told me that someday I would thank her for not giving me brothers and sisters. I think she said that because she was the oldest of twelve. I did grow up with aunts and uncles closer to my age, and I’m still close to one aunt who is the same age as me. She is as close to sister as I will ever know. I lived by a cousin a year younger than me, and he felt more like a brother than I’ll ever know, and now he’s gone. I like to picture him entering Heaven and my husband and my mother and dad saying, “Welcome home.” Someday we will all be together, but in the meantime, I want to spend as much time with the people I love and do all the things that I can cram in before I can’t. Tell somebody today how much you care about them—they might not be here tomorrow. DR 4/5/14