Please bear with me as writing a Blog is new to me. I was a bit naive to the fact that it might not be wise to share certain personal or identifying information regarding family and friends. I will be a lot more careful in the future. I want to tell the story of a Baby Boomer "front runner" but I do not want to invade anyone's privacy or step on any toes or worse yet offend people I love dearly. I am way too open at times and as Archie Bunker would say, I need to stifle myself. In cases where I need to use names to make the story run smoothly, I will change the names to protect the innocent.
I would love to write a Memoir but can now see that this can be a tricky undertaking.
Mary Beth
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Loretta's Three Sons
Yesterday, Bob and I drove down the NYS Thruway to visit at the home of his brother. The car was quite and peaceful. Bob and I were completely alone which is a rare occurrence for us as we are typically surrounded by family and friends and,although this is a great blessing to us, it was absolutely wonderful to be alone and without distractions. We are busier than ever in these "golden years" and a quiet time alone together is all the more precious to me.
Anyway, we were traveling to Bob's brother's home to celebrate the "In-law Christmas". Because Loretta gave birth to 3 boys rather than 3 girls, the brothers and their families get-together on a day other than Christmas day. When we arrived, we were greeted at the front door and could see that Bob's youngest brother and his wife and son had arrived before us and were already enjoying the festivities. It was a small gathering this year but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our time together. On the way home I wondered what made the experience so special for me. This is what I came up with:
It is nice to feel so comfortable and so at home with one's in-laws - people who have known you for years and accept you in spite of your idiosyncrasies. They don't mind that I like to use my disposable hand towel and my tea bag more than once. They don't mind that I close my eyes for a little while and listen to the conversation from a distance as I zone out in a completely peaceful and relaxed state.
I didn't have to raise a finger to do a thing but I was allowed to help out a bit if it made me happy. People who know me well know that sitting still for too long is a true hardship for me.
One family member recently had some major surgery but was recovering nicely. Anyone who has ever been there knows the glow you feel when the hospital experience is over and the memory is gradually becoming more and more distant.
Once again, I enjoyed the family's famous sense of humor. What a tremendous gift this sense of humor has proven to be over the years. It is one of the reasons I fell in love with Bob in the first place. These three guys could truly be a sitcom and it would be a winner. It is such a pleasure to sit back and watch them in action.
I thought about the fact that between the three couples we had close to 100 years of marriage. That has to be some kind of a record in this day and age.
I thought about Loretta, the woman who gave birth to these three great men. I know she was there in spirit yesterday as nothing made her happier than being together with her three sons. I wore her wedding rings to bring her with me into our gathering.
So all in all it was not just a good day - it was a great day- and I thank God for such a blessing.
Anyway, we were traveling to Bob's brother's home to celebrate the "In-law Christmas". Because Loretta gave birth to 3 boys rather than 3 girls, the brothers and their families get-together on a day other than Christmas day. When we arrived, we were greeted at the front door and could see that Bob's youngest brother and his wife and son had arrived before us and were already enjoying the festivities. It was a small gathering this year but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our time together. On the way home I wondered what made the experience so special for me. This is what I came up with:
It is nice to feel so comfortable and so at home with one's in-laws - people who have known you for years and accept you in spite of your idiosyncrasies. They don't mind that I like to use my disposable hand towel and my tea bag more than once. They don't mind that I close my eyes for a little while and listen to the conversation from a distance as I zone out in a completely peaceful and relaxed state.
I didn't have to raise a finger to do a thing but I was allowed to help out a bit if it made me happy. People who know me well know that sitting still for too long is a true hardship for me.
One family member recently had some major surgery but was recovering nicely. Anyone who has ever been there knows the glow you feel when the hospital experience is over and the memory is gradually becoming more and more distant.
Once again, I enjoyed the family's famous sense of humor. What a tremendous gift this sense of humor has proven to be over the years. It is one of the reasons I fell in love with Bob in the first place. These three guys could truly be a sitcom and it would be a winner. It is such a pleasure to sit back and watch them in action.
I thought about the fact that between the three couples we had close to 100 years of marriage. That has to be some kind of a record in this day and age.
I thought about Loretta, the woman who gave birth to these three great men. I know she was there in spirit yesterday as nothing made her happier than being together with her three sons. I wore her wedding rings to bring her with me into our gathering.
So all in all it was not just a good day - it was a great day- and I thank God for such a blessing.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Technology Queen
For a number of years now my son has been calling me The Technology Queen. It is said tongue in cheek since I am light years away from understanding all the latest gadgets. I make notes for myself so I can work our TV and DVD. We have about 5 remotes and each one does something different. If I don't use the TV for a few days, I have to take out my notes and relearn the process.
I would like to make my blog a bit more exciting but it is going to take me awhile. Maybe I can get someone from the younger generation to lend me a hand and speed up the learning curve. Also I am embarrassed to have listed myself as a follower of my own blog - I accidentally added myself as a follower and I have absolutely no idea how to reverse it.
Mary Beth
I would like to make my blog a bit more exciting but it is going to take me awhile. Maybe I can get someone from the younger generation to lend me a hand and speed up the learning curve. Also I am embarrassed to have listed myself as a follower of my own blog - I accidentally added myself as a follower and I have absolutely no idea how to reverse it.
Mary Beth
Thinking Back
In the last year or so I have started to look back over my life. They say that this is normal for people in my age group. I think about the paths I took, the detours I made and the paths I completely left behind.
I think about the people who loved me during my lifetime. I think what a wonderful gift this love has been. I would like to personally thank each and every person for the love they gave me since there is no better gift in life.
I think about my past relationships and what each meant to me. I believe that every person we have ever loved takes and holds a piece of our heart forever because love never dies. That doesn't mean everything is pie in the sky happiness at every moment in a relationship. Just ask Bob who sees me first thing in the morning and when I have gotten too sweaty on the treadmill and pull off the flannel nightgown and continue my slow jog in my birthday suit. The other day I was totally embarrassed when he came down to the basement and found me in this condition. I had nowhere to hid and what might have been a sexy sight 40 years ago was instead downright scary.
Some other random thoughts about blogging and life in general have been flying through my mind, especially during the middle of the night!! As a Boomer Front Runner, sleep is not what it use to be. I bet other Boomers remember the days when they could go out half the night and then sleep until noon or later the next day. Those days are gone. I hesitate getting up in the middle of the night to blog although honestly that is when my best ideas come to me. Maybe I'll try one of these nights to see if what I say makes any sense the next morning.
Yesterday at the 4PM mass Father Tony left us with the following message which originated with First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson: "Every day do a little bit more than you think you can". Lately it seems like every day the basic things I want to accomplish are a lot more than what I had hoped to do at the start of the day when my energy level is highest. Invariably, around 2 or 3 PM I need a nap or a the very least a rest, flat on my back, in bed. So basically, every day I end up feeling like I am doing a lot more than I think I can. Well, I could write more today but something tells me a Blog entry shouldn't be all that long. Have a great day, Mary Beth
I think about the people who loved me during my lifetime. I think what a wonderful gift this love has been. I would like to personally thank each and every person for the love they gave me since there is no better gift in life.
I think about my past relationships and what each meant to me. I believe that every person we have ever loved takes and holds a piece of our heart forever because love never dies. That doesn't mean everything is pie in the sky happiness at every moment in a relationship. Just ask Bob who sees me first thing in the morning and when I have gotten too sweaty on the treadmill and pull off the flannel nightgown and continue my slow jog in my birthday suit. The other day I was totally embarrassed when he came down to the basement and found me in this condition. I had nowhere to hid and what might have been a sexy sight 40 years ago was instead downright scary.
Some other random thoughts about blogging and life in general have been flying through my mind, especially during the middle of the night!! As a Boomer Front Runner, sleep is not what it use to be. I bet other Boomers remember the days when they could go out half the night and then sleep until noon or later the next day. Those days are gone. I hesitate getting up in the middle of the night to blog although honestly that is when my best ideas come to me. Maybe I'll try one of these nights to see if what I say makes any sense the next morning.
Yesterday at the 4PM mass Father Tony left us with the following message which originated with First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson: "Every day do a little bit more than you think you can". Lately it seems like every day the basic things I want to accomplish are a lot more than what I had hoped to do at the start of the day when my energy level is highest. Invariably, around 2 or 3 PM I need a nap or a the very least a rest, flat on my back, in bed. So basically, every day I end up feeling like I am doing a lot more than I think I can. Well, I could write more today but something tells me a Blog entry shouldn't be all that long. Have a great day, Mary Beth
Friday, December 25, 2009
My 65th Christmas
My 65th Christmas
I had hoped to write a little something every day but I was too busy living Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to get down to writing again. That is my problem with consistency in writing. I have the philosophy that when I am pressed for time I always choose to live life rather than to write about life. I guess it is no surprise that in the past 36 hours I have been very busy living life. My 65th Christmas on this earth was wonderful. I was surrounded by people I love and there is nothing I like better than that.
One special gift I received this morning was the fact that my husband went on my blog to check out what I wrote and responded that when he looks at me he doesn’t see an old lady. Wasn’t that sweet of him? Possibly it is because we are growing old together and he has had time to adjust to the changes in a more gradual way. Whatever the case, I thought it was nice of him to say what he did.
I am trying to learn more about blogs and blogging. Last night I asked my nephew, Luke, what he thought of my blog and he said, “Aunt Mary, you have written only one entry, and one blog entry does not a Blogger make”. So I must write more before I can consider myself a Blogger. We also discussed the honesty factor and how much a person (me) really wants to reveal in a Blog. Do I really want to share my innermost thoughts and feelings? Someone at the dinner table suggested that I could lie like a rug or make up an entirely new persona in my Blog and for a brief moment I thought that sounded like a fun thing to do. Nonetheless I quickly decided that I’d rather be me. Since I have always enjoyed people who are a bit off the bell curve and people who say it like they see it, I will be who I am. Even at almost 65 I am still trying to figure that out.
Our dear friends in Australia called to wish us a Merry Christmas and John suggested that 65 is the new 40, so that was a comforting thought with which to end my Christmas day. Thanks John.Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Turning 65
I will be 65 years old on March 9th and it scares the hell out of me. How did I get to be such an old lady? I still feel 16 years old on the inside. When kids at the grocery store register look at me I can tell they are seeing "an old lady" by the feedback I'm getting.
I was born in 1945 so technically I don't really meet the criteria to be labeled a "Baby Boomer". The Baby Boomer generation didn't really start until 1946. Nonetheless, I have always felt at home in that group, and I really like considering myself a part of that group, so let's just say I am at the forefront of the Boomers.
I have never had a blog before and it is the night before " the night before Christmas" and there is still so much to do to get ready for the big day, that I will stop here and write some more when I am a bit more alert and refreshed. I'm not a kid anymore and I need my rest. How does Hillary do it, I wonder? She is no kid either.
Mary Beth
I was born in 1945 so technically I don't really meet the criteria to be labeled a "Baby Boomer". The Baby Boomer generation didn't really start until 1946. Nonetheless, I have always felt at home in that group, and I really like considering myself a part of that group, so let's just say I am at the forefront of the Boomers.
I have never had a blog before and it is the night before " the night before Christmas" and there is still so much to do to get ready for the big day, that I will stop here and write some more when I am a bit more alert and refreshed. I'm not a kid anymore and I need my rest. How does Hillary do it, I wonder? She is no kid either.
Mary Beth
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