Sunday, February 8, 2015

These are the good old days

My Washington friend Jennie is my next-door neighbor. She's in her 30s with three children, a supportive husband and a homeschooling life. Sometimes when we talk I tell her, "Remember, these are the good old days." Hectic though it seems, there's nothing better than the present.

That's the case with me, too, even though life can have its hiccups and disappointments. Here's what happened this week:

  • We have a spongy area in the floor of our park model's bathroom. My husband Art checked the toilet this weekend and there's no leak coming from there. He crawled under the park model, cut a hole in the panel and reached up to feel the floor and it was damp. So we've called a repair person who will be out tomorrow. I'm thinking this will not be a small job.
  • We're having the inside of the park model painted this week. The painter left color books with me and I went through them casually but had no idea how to choose what I wanted. I have no eye for color. Actually, that's not true. I know color I like when it's on the wall - I can do that with wall decor too - but have no DNA for figuring it out when it's in a book or a shop. As the time for the paint decision neared, I got anxious. Finally I found the Benjamin Moore paint website, where you can select a room design and then point and click to apply "paint" to it to see how the colors look. Within half an hour I had my selection. So glad for online palettes!
  • I am playing handbells here for the third season; Betty, the director, is excellent. Her husband Al is also a lifelong musician, directs the show choir here and is also directing the play Art is in, the Second Annual Voyager Light Opera production of Guys and Dolls. I found out last week that Betty and Al are selling their park model and leaving for home in March, and won't be back next year. An ending, not fun to think about.
  • My good friend Judy and her husband Ken, neighbors here in Arizona, have sold their place and will be spending winter time in Florida and Mexico instead. Judy and I laugh together and she makes everything fun. I will miss her. Tonight the four of us went to dinner and then for gelatto. It was a bittersweet time. 
On the positive side:
  • The conversation last week between a liberal and a conservative went well, though not as expected. I'm grateful that my recruit, George, was a good sport and felt the experience was a positive one. 
  • We had lunch with friends Barbara (she and I met while blogging) and Earl. They're winter residents like us at another resort in town. We seem to have plenty to talk about!
  • I've made arrangements to have dinner with Bridget (she's my ex-sister-in-law's daughter who was born after my divorce) and her fiancĂ© Gilbert. We met for a meal last year and I was charmed by Bridget's energy and Gilbert's affection and calm demeanor. They're getting married in Oregon in July and we've been invited. Art would call us "outlaws" but it's nice to have continuing relationships with people from my past.
  • We're driving to San Diego on Friday to spend a few days with daughter Melissa and son-in-law Scott. That will be fun!
"These are the good old days." Today is what we have. 

11 comments:

Linda Reeder said...

Yep, today is what we have, and these are good years for me too!

DJan said...

It's always sad to see good friends move on out of our lives. Fortunately, these days there's always the internet, email and blogs. I find Facebook to be a wonderful way to keep track of people and family I don't see in person often. And yes, these are the good old days! :-)

Arkansas Patti said...

It is hard losing our new friends but retirees do tend to drift in and out of out lives. Like Djan said, thank goodness for all the tools we have these days to keep up.
I do believe these are the good old days.

Tom said...

But it's good you're keeping up with family and new friends ... enjoy your time in San Diego!

Olga said...

I am grateful that I get to choose to make each day a good one.

Grandmother Mary said...

Today is all we have and cherishing it makes for happiness. I like your attitude.

Madeline Kasian said...

I always enjoy your posts,Linda. We're living our first winter season in the woods of Northern Az. after 30 years in the desert.I am struggling a bit with the chilly weather and overcast skies .. Ken and I think about maybe taking a month next year to go somewhere warm and sunny for mid-January to mid-February .. I will be looking at rentals.. your descriptions of life inn your park model neighborhood are very appealing!!

#1Nana said...

Maybe I'll bump into you in San Diego. I'm going down on the 21st for a few days to see my family.

One of the things I've found challenging as we have aged is changes in friendships. People move, couples get divorced, people die...it's tough for a recluse to make new friends. It's hard to do the work that needs to be done to build new relationships.

marciamayo said...

You do stay busy!

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

Where you live seems so far and foreign to me. Yet you have friends and family ever changing. DJan is right. Internet!!

Deb Shucka said...

Nice insights here, and you sound happy where you are in these particular good old days.