GHOSTS OF LOST LOVED ONES

To transport the cat to the son-in-law's it was decided (not by me) that they needed a sedative. The cat version of "a happy pill". Like most decisions made by generals, it had to be carried out by a private. Or as the Talmud Rabbi (Ben Somethingorother) said "Soldiers do the fighting and Generals are the hero's" In this case Cindy said "do it" and I got scratched.

At the vet's office the young lady needed to up date our records. From a rather thick file she began extracting sheets of paper. "moma cat" she asked. "Dead" (old age). With a red magic marker she drew a line through the page and pulled up another sheet.

"Tank?" "Dead" (car/dog accident). "Charlie?" "Dead" (car/dog accident). "Samson?" "Dead" (old age). "Athen?" "Who?" "A cat named Athen?" "Dead" (Squashed by a truck tire). "Lucky?" "Dead" (really missing in action but I didn't want to explain that I lost my dog.). "Dootels?" "No longer living with us!" (I gave that horse sized dog away before she dug up the other half of my yard.).

Two cats (gone where ever cats go when they die) and five dogs (four in heaven and the other still digging her way to the other place.)

PACKING A TRAILER

The amazing thing to me is that 28 years ago, almost to the day, Cindy and I arrived at the farm with only those items that could be stuffed into a VW Beetle. Considering that two kids were also wedged in the back, we were possessed of very few material goods. Fortunately we remembered to bring along the hospital manual they gave us after each of the kids was born. The title was "HOW TO RAISE HEALTHY WELL ADJUSTED CHILDREN" (subtitled "DON'T PANIC")

Today I'm engaged in selecting those material goods which shortly will be wedged into a 22 foot trailer (with slide out) and our monster truck. I'm still trying to find that manual they gave me at the retirement party "HOW TO REMAIN HEALTHY AND WELL ADJUSTED IN RETIREMENT", ironically it has the same subtitle.

Xmas is now 10 days away and we are busy wrapping presents (too many for the grandchild), decorating the house and planing menu's. The angel on the xmas tree is 10 feet from the floor and she (like all of the really good angels) is a little askew.

LAST DAY

Well I had my last day today. A special and rare opportunity to plunge a knife into the heart of a young father. "Yes your parental rights are terminated" "No you won't be able to watch your daughter grow up" He cried...the grandmother cried...I packed and left the building.

Retirement

By now most of you know I have stopped working at the courthouse. This may come as a surprise to many of our friends because you were convinced I never did work. All those years as a janitor cleaning up the emotional mess left behind by divorces, death, etc. are over and I have decided to "redeploy". I say redeploy because I'm convinced retirement is the wrong word. According to my advisors, (Micky et. al.) I will never stop working.

This is of course true because I am married....and have adult children, each of whom have "projects" (hops/garage/barn etc.). David hasn't checked in with a list yet but I know someday he will.

The view this morning outside the front door is everything I've come to expect from "late fall" in Michigan.

The trailer has yet to be packed, although we have several tables in the house piled high with "stuff".

Cindy and I have engaged in fierce arguments about how many juice glasses we need...(16 vs. 2)...clothes pins (24 vs. 4) and if it's really necessary to take 12 pair of shoes! But thanks to our "Kindels" we are both able to bring a miniature library. I have downloaded over 200 books (And yes I've read 4 already). That huge pile of books next to the bed is neatly shelved in the library and I am re-reading some of the books that brought me joy as a child. Alice and the white rabbit are still pleasant company.

One of my kids (I won't use names but her initials are S.M.) observed that something I did recently was prompted by my life long use of lists. (ie. my apparent obsession with making a "to do" list and then methodically crossing items off). She was correct of course. (It's concerning that I'm so predictable.) So I hereby resolve to be less predictable. I will of course add that to my "to do" list, along with "rose smelling" and long walks.

Most of all I am resolved to make my wonderful wife happy. So I guess the trailer will roll with 16 juice cups, 24 cloths pins and enough shoes to make Emelda Marcos red with envy.