When I was in high school, I loved to read–but not necessarily the books that were assigned in class. Even if I hadn’t read the whole book, I could contribute to the conversation by reading the dust jacket, the first chapter, and the last chapter.
I decided that I would change this habit when I got to college. I signed up for an English literature class. One of the first books we were assigned was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I loved the idea of reading this book. I loved the first line. It is the only first line of any book that I’ve memorized.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
I loved the discussions about family, wealth, reputation, social class, and of course, pride and prejudice. But I didn’t actually read it until years later. Continue reading
I can still remember the Christmas that I got my Atari 2600. I think this is where my love of technology began. I received the game system that morning and as soon as the presents were opened, I had it set up on our basement TV. But with my luck – by the time I was ready to play with it – it was time to get over to Grandma Is’s house to celebrate the holiday with the remainder of the family.
When I was a kid I don’t remember having many toys. We had the staples such as roller skates, ice skates, a bike, and a doll or two. I also had a metal dollhouse and paper dolls. But, the one thing I had was a good imagination.
Being young in the 50s was a whole different ball game than being young today. I remember 
This past weekend, my kids, their significant others and I went to an escape room in Wisconsin Dells. It was a Christmas present from me to all of them and we wanted to do it before a couple of them went back to school. Last year, for my birthday, they treated me to an escape room adventure in Madison and we had so much fun that I knew we had to try it again.
At one time I owned a Honda Accord with a 5-speed transmission. It was a very fun car to drive and Matt would always comment that he wished he knew how to drive a 5-speed car. When he got his driver’s license, I asked him if he still wanted to learn how to drive a standard transmission. He jumped at the chance. 
I have six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I have had the wonderful opportunity and experience of living close to all of my grandchildren. This includes being able to spend good quality time and a lot of fun experiences. 
To some people, the presence of family brings stress, challenges, and dread. They don’t like to be around family because of differing opinions or hard feelings. I have difficulty relating to those people as my family is the exact opposite. I couldn’t imagine life without them.
When I turned my key in the apartment door, I always felt the same sadness. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to be with my family. 
