Another Monday in Paradise.
I promised myself that I would start making changes in my life starting today. There are so many things wrong, it's hard to pick a starting point. Here are my thoughts.
# 1 Lose weight,
Options, obviously dieting, weight watchers?, Alli? Acai?
#2 Exercise...swimming is great but I can't stand up in the surf or get up if I fall
Nag Jim into putting our pool up. Try to use this thing Jim bought for me that you kneel on, with my 2 bad knees ????
#3 Read more..well I started Julie and Julia last night and actually digested 50 pages, and I was really sleepy...I love it
#4 Continue disposing of accumulated items that are no longer of service. Luckily, we have Goodwill Store nearby
#5 Find something outside of the house to do ie work, take a course at Del Tech., volunteer.
I need to meet new people and start living my life and spending time with someone with similar interests. I want my independence back.
Gotta go, busy day
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Reading Trin's blog about her hectic schedule, provoked some thoughts and memories of my own. It was difficult being a single Mom of a 6 and 7 year old boy in the 70's.
When I first started to work , I had to make many changes in our routine.
I worked until 4 , they got home by 3:30
I asked one of the Mom's in the car pool, who lived right down our street , if she could keep an eye on them until I got home. They all played together in the alley anyway, but apparently she resented this and just before the Christmas break she dropped us from the car pool which created another crisis for me. It's amazing how little things become larger than life when you are alone and having to make all the decisions.
I did find another one which wasn't easy as the kids went to a small school on the campus of Towson State and everyone did not live in our neighborhood. I did get them involved in some after school activities when they were available.
My schedule became Monday-Friday 9-5, supervising the floor staff and hostessing. On Tuesday , Wednesdays and Fridays I changed into my uniform like Superman and waitressed for the much needed money.
This is when I relied heavily on my Parents for help, and I am forever grateful for their assistance. My Dad was recently retired, so he was able to pick them up from school and take them home where they spent the night and drove them back in the morning. I credit my parents with providing the stability they needed at this crucial time in their lives, and also their love of Mom Mom's creamy corn and homemade mac and cheese
Once they were a little older, I found other ways to manage. They could ride the transit bus straight down York Rd, to Northern Pkwy, and walk the 1/2 mile home. They were latch key kids, but were trustworthy and responsible so I didn't worry, plus my job was 10 minutes away.
At one point I also had a co worker/ college student move into the basement and as part of our agreement, she agreed to fix dinner and stay with them on the nights that I worked. That only lasted a few months, but it helped at the time. They were getting tired of shuffling back and forth to Mom Mom's.
Then there were the other activities that boys need to get into, Soccer and Little league, I wasn't always able to transport them to these events but somehow we managed.
As it became increasingly rare when their Dad showed up, I looked into Boy Scouts as a place for a strong male role model. Did I ever luck out with Troop 35. I had 2 busboys who worked with me who were both 17 and still in the scouts, and they were cool, hip kids. That was a huge part of our lives for 8 years and both sons made Eagle.
I can't help believe that the responsibilities they assumed as kids, have made them into the solid individuals they are today.
When I first started to work , I had to make many changes in our routine.
I worked until 4 , they got home by 3:30
I asked one of the Mom's in the car pool, who lived right down our street , if she could keep an eye on them until I got home. They all played together in the alley anyway, but apparently she resented this and just before the Christmas break she dropped us from the car pool which created another crisis for me. It's amazing how little things become larger than life when you are alone and having to make all the decisions.
I did find another one which wasn't easy as the kids went to a small school on the campus of Towson State and everyone did not live in our neighborhood. I did get them involved in some after school activities when they were available.
My schedule became Monday-Friday 9-5, supervising the floor staff and hostessing. On Tuesday , Wednesdays and Fridays I changed into my uniform like Superman and waitressed for the much needed money.
This is when I relied heavily on my Parents for help, and I am forever grateful for their assistance. My Dad was recently retired, so he was able to pick them up from school and take them home where they spent the night and drove them back in the morning. I credit my parents with providing the stability they needed at this crucial time in their lives, and also their love of Mom Mom's creamy corn and homemade mac and cheese
Once they were a little older, I found other ways to manage. They could ride the transit bus straight down York Rd, to Northern Pkwy, and walk the 1/2 mile home. They were latch key kids, but were trustworthy and responsible so I didn't worry, plus my job was 10 minutes away.
At one point I also had a co worker/ college student move into the basement and as part of our agreement, she agreed to fix dinner and stay with them on the nights that I worked. That only lasted a few months, but it helped at the time. They were getting tired of shuffling back and forth to Mom Mom's.
Then there were the other activities that boys need to get into, Soccer and Little league, I wasn't always able to transport them to these events but somehow we managed.
As it became increasingly rare when their Dad showed up, I looked into Boy Scouts as a place for a strong male role model. Did I ever luck out with Troop 35. I had 2 busboys who worked with me who were both 17 and still in the scouts, and they were cool, hip kids. That was a huge part of our lives for 8 years and both sons made Eagle.
I can't help believe that the responsibilities they assumed as kids, have made them into the solid individuals they are today.
Friday, July 24, 2009
We just returned from an overnight trip to visit George and Phyllis, 2 of Jim's oldest Friends and now mine as well.
This on the heels of last weekend with Tom and Martha at our house for the weekend, who are likewise closer to Jim than I, even though I have known George and Tommy longer than Jim has from High school.
Everyone is now in his mid 60 's so things have slowed down a bit, Thank God!!.
The 3 men still got falling down drunk up until a few years ago, forgetting that they weren't 30 or even 40 any more. There were many late night " discussions/arguments", forgotten in the morning over coffee and serious hangovers.....Warriors all.... Boys to the end!!
The dynamics have changed dramatically. Jim now has renal failure, and cannot drink .Tom has also had health issues, 2 heart attacks and bypass surgery, obesity and bad legs. George seems to be doing well despite a broken ankle a few years back, and a benign growth that was removed from his colon prior to that.
The ladies have fared better. Phyllis retired from BCBS several years ago and since she and George never had children, she had a long career, accumulating a substantial retirement package.
They purchased a 5th wheel, and a big truck, and now winter in Florida and summer at home.
They made some good investments , even though they are at a low point now, but live quite comfortably on social security and her pension.
Tom and Martha are another story. Martha had one child when she married Tom, and then produced two more. Everyone is grown and gone but not too far away that they don't visit often. Phyllis and George are God parents to all of them.
Tom has made some bad business choices in the past which have followed them through life. He is currently working for a very good friend in Balto, and commutes home to PA on weekends. Yet they have somehow managed to find the resources to suddenly travel a lot, to Upper state NY, Nags head, The Florida Keys and even Hawaii all in the past year,. I must confess I am jealous given our situation in regards to dialysis, health care expenses and such. It doesn't seem fair somehow.
Everyone is coping with aging and retirement in their own way. I feel like we are in Limbo, waiting for Jim to find a kidney and move on. I don't want a 5Th wheel , Retiring in Fla doesn't appeal to me at all, but I would like to enjoy the last years my life, seeing new things and places.
This on the heels of last weekend with Tom and Martha at our house for the weekend, who are likewise closer to Jim than I, even though I have known George and Tommy longer than Jim has from High school.
Everyone is now in his mid 60 's so things have slowed down a bit, Thank God!!.
The 3 men still got falling down drunk up until a few years ago, forgetting that they weren't 30 or even 40 any more. There were many late night " discussions/arguments", forgotten in the morning over coffee and serious hangovers.....Warriors all.... Boys to the end!!
The dynamics have changed dramatically. Jim now has renal failure, and cannot drink .Tom has also had health issues, 2 heart attacks and bypass surgery, obesity and bad legs. George seems to be doing well despite a broken ankle a few years back, and a benign growth that was removed from his colon prior to that.
The ladies have fared better. Phyllis retired from BCBS several years ago and since she and George never had children, she had a long career, accumulating a substantial retirement package.
They purchased a 5th wheel, and a big truck, and now winter in Florida and summer at home.
They made some good investments , even though they are at a low point now, but live quite comfortably on social security and her pension.
Tom and Martha are another story. Martha had one child when she married Tom, and then produced two more. Everyone is grown and gone but not too far away that they don't visit often. Phyllis and George are God parents to all of them.
Tom has made some bad business choices in the past which have followed them through life. He is currently working for a very good friend in Balto, and commutes home to PA on weekends. Yet they have somehow managed to find the resources to suddenly travel a lot, to Upper state NY, Nags head, The Florida Keys and even Hawaii all in the past year,. I must confess I am jealous given our situation in regards to dialysis, health care expenses and such. It doesn't seem fair somehow.
Everyone is coping with aging and retirement in their own way. I feel like we are in Limbo, waiting for Jim to find a kidney and move on. I don't want a 5Th wheel , Retiring in Fla doesn't appeal to me at all, but I would like to enjoy the last years my life, seeing new things and places.
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