Memories

I can’t believe it has almost been a year since I retired.   Sometimes I miss working, but I am really enjoying having the time to read, think, and ponder.   That was not a luxury that I had when I was working.  Although now I keep busy with projects, friends, and keeping my two dogs happy (very important), I always take time during the day to sit and relax.

My Mom recently passed away at the age of 100.   I do miss her, but feel blessed that she lived for so many years.   My Dad passed away in 2008 at the age of 94.     My parents were married for 61 years when my Dad passed.  I guess I am a bit nostalgic now since I have been thinking quite a bit about the old times.

About 8 years ago I created an online photo album to share with my family (immediate, cousins, etc.).   I have been scanning pictures from my parent’s albums since that time and uploading them.   It is a slow job, but I am enjoying it.   I guess you could say it is a very slow job since I have been working on this project for 8 years.

When my sister and I moved my Mom from the house where we grew up, there were many boxes of loose pictures and albums and that is the event that started this big project.

As I have slowly sorted through them it brings back many childhood memories:

• One Christmas morning when I was about 6 years old, my family was opening Christmas gifts. I remember hearing foot steps on the roof and my Mom said something like, “Is that Santa Claus?” I opened the front door, so I could run to look for Santa and there was a new bike right outside the front door
• My Dad, who was a carpenter, building me a little boat to float in the creek that flowed through our front yard
• My Mom leading our 4-H sewing group even though I know sewing wasn’t something I believe she loved doing
• Christmas Eve during my childhood when after eating dinner my mom, dad, sister, and I drove around the town looking at the decorated yards and Christmas Trees. When we returned home, my mom generally made the same Wheat Chex snack mix to enjoy
• Holidays with my broader family as a child. We still get together as much as we can even now
• Setting pipe at my cousins’ sheep ranch as a child. We would swim in the pool and then hop out to set pipe in the fields and return to swimming.   I never thought of setting pipe as work.

My husband and I host the Christmas Party for my dad’s side of the family and have for a number of years now.  Our house is centrally located so it works well.  Everyone contributes to the dinner and they are quite generous.  We average around 30 people every year.   Recently my cousin Tom stood up after we ate and said how much he loved that we still get together every year and keep in touch.    He added that when he mentioned it to some people their response was something like, “My family doesn’t do that”.    I have never fully appreciated my family until recently when I started to realize that many families lose touch and rarely see each other, in my case that hasn’t happened.    The older I get, the more I appreciate we are in contact and although we may not see each other all the time, we have not lost touch and look forward to keeping in contact.