Just when you think your life is going down a steady road, you approach another bump. My sister’s husband, Michael, passed away on April 4, 2023. This was also the birthdate of my sister. We miss him desperately, especially when we go to our cottage, as that was his happy place. My nephew, Matthew, has a girlfriend, Laura, and we anticipate good things out of that, but you never know.
I have six grandkids and now two great-grandsons. Brad, the oldest of the clan of grandchildren, is buying his first house. It is close by and is a cute house perfect for a starter home. Nate is now engaged to Sommer, and we couldn’t be happier. He is still the old Nate with a more grown-up attitude. Sommer is a gem and is a great pick for him. Jessica just graduated from college with honors. She majored in Human Development and Family Services. She is working during the summer at Horicon Bank and plans to get her Master’s Degree soon. Her boyfriend is Keagan and is a really sweet guy. He purchased a workout gym (Momentum), which is going well. Lukas is moving to Cambria with his wife and the two boys. He continues to make interesting choices, and we are always hoping for the best for his family. Kadon is in his third year at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and loves it. For the summer, he is working at Kwip Trip and at American Packaging Company. Aubrey (our jalapeño princess) is planning her quinceañera for sometime in August. She will be turning 15, is a Sophomore in high school, and is keeping her parents on their toes, so to speak.
After my Art retired, he started to show signs of memory issues. He has been diagnosed at this time with dementia. This certainly was not in our plan, but life goes on. Every day is another event with him. He keeps me on my toes for sure. He still seems like himself most times, but has short-term memory loss.
We are enjoying our two English Springer Spaniels most days, but not on muddy days. They bring a great sense of happiness to Art as he enjoys cuddling with them. The pup, Ivy, has come a long way with discipline with a little help from a shock collar (we only use the vibrate mode). They are both fun, and we enjoy them on most days.
When people say they don’t know how they ever had time to work certainly applies to me also. There seems to be something going on all the time. You need to take time to reacquaint with old friends, keep current friends, and keep your family on the right track. (If they will let you!)
I am dealing with being short of breath. This is believed to be due to a clot in my lungs, which we are working on dissolving. Doctor visits certainly take up a lot of any free time you thought you might have. I am turning 80 this month and can’t believe where the time has gone.
So, on to the next chapter of life, hoping that it goes smoothly.
To say things are pretty much the same is not true
When I previously described myself, I stated that I could not waste a day. Boy, that’s a joke. I am now retired and can waste a day better than anyone I know.
Things have stayed pretty much the same as my last description of myself, but we have completed our four-year-long project of renovating a cabin that we now rent out. We have named it “The Old Fashioned Suite”.
This was a lot of work, but our family all stepped up, and we are very proud of our accomplishment and are enjoying sharing it with renters who seem to love our efforts. I now have a summer job cleaning the cabin after each rental. This gives us the opportunity and excuse to retreat to our escape place, but also brings in some cash.
After fifty-six years of working, I have finally retired. I would still be working, I am sure, if my boss had continued with the law firm. But he felt the need to close shop, so I made up my mind to end it also. I always hated schedules, so this is a good thing. Some days I miss the people I interact with, and the feeling of accomplishment, but it offers me a lot more “me” time, which I find I do not utilize daily as I should. My husband also retired at the ripe old age of eighty. We now get to spend ALL of our time together!!!
My freedom allowed me to do some more traveling. I went out East with my friend, Melanie, also my boss’s wife, and made a trip to France with my daughter’s mother-in-law. I do love to travel and look forward to doing some more in the future.
Also, after pining for many, many years of wanting to have two English Springer Spaniels, my husband finally realized that I needed to have my dream of owning two. Her name is Ivy, and we got her on January 8, 2023, when she was just eight weeks old. I must have forgotten what it all entails to have a puppy because she is a bit of a challenge, especially in the potty-training part. But she is so cute, and we love her just the same.
As we get older, we are hitting a few speed bumps along the way. My sister’s husband is very ill, and my husband (other than driving me crazy) needs me to be his guiding force. (Such as what day it is, and what appointments are scheduled.) You know, typical male things like that.
I have also become a great grandma to a sweet little boy called Lukas Andrey, Jr. (I call him Andrey even though everyone calls him Lukas, Padooka, or whatever). He is a little cuddle muffin and has stolen the whole family’s hearts.
As I write this, it is winter, and I am already anticipating the coming of spring. I love to be outside, in my garden, walking in the woods, or daydreaming by the lake. My grandkids are all well, each taking very diverse journeys, some good, some bad, but that is life.
I am looking forward to what adventures are (hopefully all good) in my future.
Sidetracked Sisters
Sidetracked Sisters is a foursome of family members who love to get together, talk incessantly for hours, and have big ideas that go in all different directions, no two seem to be the same. We are two sets of sisters and have always been close. Two of these characters are my daughters and one is my sister. It creates hours of fun, hysteria, lots of laughs, and, yes, sometimes tears. We are very diverse in our personalities and styles. That creates lots of “interesting” discussions, chat sessions, and more often than not some hysteria.
