AGE?

Do you have any idea how often,

when seeing many people my own age,

that I think,

"I don't look THAT old, do I?"

THIS proves that I am not the only one with a

"fantasy mirror"

at home!

****************************************

STORY ON.... AGE???
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN GUILTY OF LOOKING
AT OTHERS YOUR OWN AGE
AND THINKING,
SURELY I CAN'T LOOK THAT OLD.
WELL....
YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE.
***************************

MY NAME IS _______
AND I WAS SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM
FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH A NEW DENTIST
I NOTICED HIS D.D.S. DIPLOMA,

WHICH BORE HIS FULL NAME.
SUDDENLY,

I REMEMBERED A

TALL, HANDSOME, DARK-HAIRED BOY

WITH THE SAME NAME

HAD BEEN IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS

SOME 30-ODD YEARS AGO.
COULD HE BE THE SAME GUY

THAT I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON,

WAY BACK THEN?
UPON SEEING HIM, HOWEVER,

I QUICKLY DISCARDED ANY SUCH THOUGHT.
THIS BALDING, GRAY-HAIRED MAN

WITH THE DEEPLY LINED FACE

WAS WAY TOO OLD

TO HAVE BEEN MY CLASSMATE.
AFTER HE EXAMINED MY TEETH,

I ASKED
HIM IF HE HAD ATTENDED

_________ HIGH SCHOOL .
''YES. YES, I DID. I'M A _______,''

HE GLEAMED WITH PRIDE.
''WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE?'' I ASKED.
HE ANSWERED,

''IN 1975. WHY DO YOU ASK? ''
''YOU WERE IN MY CLASS!"

I EXCLAIMED.
HE LOOKED AT ME CLOSELY.
THEN,

THAT UGLY,
OLD,
BALD,
WRINKLED,
FAT-ASS,
GRAY-HAIRED,
DECREPIT
S**-O*-*-B****

ASKED,
''WHAT DID YOU TEACH ???''

**********************************
The very saddest part of this is,

I was actually teaching in 1975!

I find it interesting that

when I'm on Facebook

and see students from that time,

I don't always recognize them

until I look at their

"blast-from-the-past" pictures

and then I know who they are!

THEY have changed,

but I haven't (in my mind!)

Of course, I'm really the age now

that they thought I was then!

PROJECTS

Sharon and I have finally committed to staying right where we are! We like the idea that we each have our "space" yet are close enough to take care of each other. The things we hated about the house are slowly being resolved.
The chair lifts for the stairs were the first projects - suddenly, we didn't feel "isolated" or "imprisoned" - thanks to Mom (she really wanted us to stay together and the lifts enabled that.)
Next issue was the back porch - the railing was so wobbly that we didn't trust it; neither one of us was comfortable with the stair railing. Edwin redecked the porch, built railings around the porch and down the stairs. He has the first coat of stain on everything so it will match the front steps. The new back door will let me watch Abbey while seated.
Although Sharon never complains about having the smaller of the spaces, we both didn't like that she couldn't see who was here or anything out front. Edwin resolved that issue by installing two cameras with talk-back system! Sharon can see all the way up the steps to my door, her window, all the way down the driveway, and down the street! PLUS -- she can HEAR things outside and talk to anyone out there! The system even has an alarm that's sensitive to sound and motion (the dogs moving or barking next door set it off!)
We have even managed to "spoil" ourselves a little. Sharon always wanted a dishwasher downstairs -- today, Lucas cut out the cabinet and installed it for her.
For me, laundry was a pain! Although Sharon never mined "sharing" the laundry room or me "camping out" downstairs while doing laundry, I HATED having to move clothes down and up the stairs. My unnecessary "redundancy" was the installation of MY OWN washer/dryer upstairs! Who would have thought that an appliance would make me so happy!
Once the 2nd coat of stain goes on the back porch, the solar lights placed, the furniture set back up, we'll be spending some "quality time" outside!
(I think I'll work on getting a new mattress now!)

CELEBRATE!

"Yankee-Doo Day"

has always been my

FAVORITE holiday!

Everyone can be like a kid at a parade

(or just BE at a parade!),

dress silly

(MUST be in red, white, and/or blue!),

play,

and not obligated to buy gifts!

(ok, never "obligated"

- but not part of the tradition.)

Most importantly,

the 4th of July gives us a chance to say

"THANK YOU"

to those who are important

in maintaining the freedom

we have in America.

It also gives us a chance to

thank God

for all the blessings we've received!

GOD BLESS AMERICA

and

YOU!