Inauguration Day

It is done.



Barack Obama was my candidate and I am glad he won, glad he weathered the inauguration in good stead but even moreso I am glad this whole election is now officially behind us.

I'm an Aquarian; we live in the future, not the past. I can hardly wait to see what unfolds from this point forward!

A failing economy, being hated around the world, the misbegotten war in Iraq, global warming, the unworkable policy of No Child Left Behind, threats of terrorism and assassination - these are problems you can really sink your teeth into! There's nowhere to go but UP.

Or out!? (Think 2012.)

That is the question, isn't it? Can these problems be turned around, can America spur the action necessary to make these wrongs right?

I honestly don't know. But I DO know that I feel a lot more hopeful today than I did on January 19th.

My prayers are with Barack Obama, his cabinet, Congress, the Supreme Court... all those who would be brave enough to believe there are answers and diligent enough to find them.

The Brother Cometh

My brother was recently here in paradise (Sarasota, FL) visiting for a week or so from Blackstone, MA. He's retired but clearly does NOT understand the concept. It took him about 4 days to be so bored sitting around doing nothing with us that he begged to be allowed to clean out our garage?!



My husband Tom and I have no problem doing very little and being the happier for it. Not so, the brother. He gets up and goes to his "part time" job for five or six hours a day then comes home and works around the house doing every little job nobody else wants to do... plus, he babysits for the grandchildren whenever he's called upon. I figure, in total, he's working more now than he ever did when he owned his own Shell service station.

When Tom retired from school administration ten years ago he picked up the house jobs I had always done: food shopping, cooking, vacuuming, floor-washing, laundry, etc.... He's always been happy to pitch in but since 1998 he's really been the compleat house-husband. When I retired in August 2005 I figured some of those jobs would revert to me but, in truth, we each just do whatever we see needs doing now.

Let's just say that neither of us is severely over-taxed!!

I keep thinking a job would be a good idea but I can't figure out how to fit it into my busy schedule of lunches and shopping and hostessing. I've discovered that the less you do, the more difficult the decision to do more.

Yet Sonny (yes, we really do call him Sonny!) was begging for more! Tom and I just looked at each other when the garage-cleaning idea was thrown at us. "Lunacy," was written on both our faces. I can honestly say I don't believe either of us has ever considered offering to clean up a sty area of our host's home on any vacation we've ever taken??! But that was his way of saying, "Thanks for a good time," I think.



At least... that's what I'd LIKE to think.

A Toast

This is for my sister Karen. She always wanted me to be a writer and now - here - I guess I sort of will be!?

She had the audacity (or was it foresight!) to die at 45. The rest of us are still here slogging through the mire of what used to be our brains while she is forever young. Where's the justice???

Women have traditionally died young in my family. My sister Toot and I, however, have broken the mold; she just turned 72 this week and I will be 64 next month. We both agree that, had we known we would live to be old we would have done things very differently!

Toot would have stopped smoking long BEFORE she was diagnosed with emphysema. She'd be having a lot more fun if she didn't have to tote around her own oxygen supply. Activity is severely restricted when you're tethered to a machine.... She used to be a lot of fun when she could breathe and walk and laugh out loud! Would that we could have those days again.

I would have put away money. Who knew??? Imagine what I could do if I had PLANNED for retirement?? Others did. People all around me were squirreling funds away for a rainy day but not me. I assumed I would fall prey to the family pattern and you know what happens when you ASS-u-me!?

Yes, that's right, you live from hand to mouth.

Anyway, here's to Karen, God bless her pointed head.