-
Towel Troubles
Oh, to be a towel. Just think of all those bare bodies you get to wrap yourself around. That is, if you are one of the lucky ones.Now, the reality of the towel hysteria that I find when my family is all together. That is, of course, the grandkids. In reality, they are thieves of the good beach towels at the cabin. This means they covet my beautiful new soft luxurious large beach towels and then, would you believe it, they take them home, and I never seem to see them again.
-
Tools and Memories
Tools have always been a big part of my life. First of all, there were none, or let’s just say some. My dad was not a fixer-upper at all. He had a brother who was, and would satisfy some of my dad’s desires when requested to do so. For example, he built bookshelves in Judy’s and my bedroom together with a corner desk. I think my mom knew more about using tools than Dad ever did. But then, there was no interest on his part to really do any type of fixing or building. I believe his only desire for tools was to have some of his dad’s old tools, my grandpa Ottos.
Now, Grandpa Otto was altogether different than my dad. He had the coolest log cabin tool shed in their backyard. It smelled heavenly, and I loved it in there. Grandpa was always puttering on something. I think he even had a power lawnmower before they were even on the market, as he put his own together. When I became a grown-up, I had my husband build me a log cabin shed in memory of my grandpa. I always say wherever I go, it has to go with me.
-
Frustration in Full Color
Quite a few years ago, I was introduced to the idea that, if you want to look your best, you should “have your colors done.” The whole purpose is to identify the shades that flatter your natural coloring, helping you choose clothes and makeup that truly enhance your features.At the time, my sister Judy was living in California. When I went to visit her, she announced that she was taking me to have my colors done. I had always worn cream, tan, brown—safe colors I could hide behind. Never, in a million years, would I have put on bright colors like red or purple.
-
The Tangles That Shaped Me
When I was in junior high school, I found myself standing at a quiet crossroads that no one else seemed to notice. On the outside, I was just another kid trying to survive algebra class and navigate the middle school schedule. But inside, I already felt the tug of two very different paths. I seemed to be the daring one of the family, you know, “The Black Sheep”. I always wanted to do the undesired activity to prove that I could and would do what I wanted. -
Decorating Disaster
Remember the pink-and-blue decorating craze? Somewhere between the sponge-painted walls and floral borders, we decided those two pastels were meant to be together. They crept into bedrooms, bathrooms, and even living rooms, and let us not forget kitchens.. And like everyone else caught in the wave of pastel mania, we jumped right in.When we decided to decorate one of my youngest daughter’s college apartments, pink and blue seemed like a no-fail combo. It sounded cute and timeless in theory. In reality? It was hideous.
-
From Price Tags to Priceless Moments
When I was young, I always thought that wealthy people were the ones with fancy cars and a nice house.I had two friends in my neighborhood who always appeared to be very wealthy in my mind’s eye. They were the girls who always had the nicest clothes, took dance lessons, piano lessons, and were always going on family trips. I would often hear my dad say things like, “If things don’t pick up, meaning sales, I am going to have to sell pencils on a street corner because, being a salesman, and times were slow, this was his way of letting us all know that he was sort of worried. He never had to sell pencils on a street corner, but it certainly left an impression on me. The fact of the matter was, when I now go past the old homestead, I realize that it was our house that was most impressive.
-
When Fate Said “No”
There are moments in life when fate doesn’t announce itself with a sign or a sudden revelation. It arrives quietly, almost unnoticed, nudging us away from one path and toward another. I believe that’s what happened to me during one of the most difficult chapters of my life.When my father passed away, the world around me felt different, not just emotionally, but in how uncertain everything suddenly seemed to change. Grief has a strange way of rearranging your priorities. Things that once felt urgent or important no longer carried the same weight. Around that same time, a job transfer was presented to my husband. He had been in a manager training program, and this was the kind of offer where you periodically get transferred to other cities. On paper, it was the next logical step. It promised more pay, more responsibility, and the kind of advancement most people work years to achieve.
-
One Pitcher, A Thousand Memories
Do you remember Kool-Aid summers? One sip of that bright, sugary goodness can take me right back to childhood—long afternoons outside, bare feet in the grass, and a neighborhood full of kids who always seemed to magically show up the second a fresh pitcher was mixed. How about the pitcher when frosty a face would be drawn on it. It just made it feel like a refreshment that couldn’t be beat.
I still remember the crinkle of the packet, the way the colors swirled like magic, and how our tongues stayed red or purple for hours. Cherry, Grape, Tropical Punch… everyone had their flavor.
-
A Hearth of My Own
Fireplaces have always been an important part of decorating for me. I love old houses where you will find a fireplace in just about every room. They offer such a fabulous atmosphere and seem to facilitate the urge to just sit by the warmth, enjoying the crackling of the fire, and read, have conversations, or just enjoy hanging out and relaxing.As a kid, I did not have a fireplace in our family home. Our house would have been perfect, but it seemed that during this time, the fireplace just wasn’t a priority for my parents as it was to me. My dad would always talk about putting one in, as we had a blank wall where it would be perfect, but it just never got done.
-
Sunday, Not a Funday
Sunday has long been considered a special day, and its significance stems from several aspects of life: spiritual, physical, emotional, and social.In our family, I don’t think my dad got the memo that this was a day of rest, relaxation, and fun. You see, he was a salesman and was only home mostly on Sundays. What this meant to me was one of two things. First of all, we would usually have relatives over for the day. This meant a big meal around three p.m. After the meal, the grown-ups gathered in the living room to supposedly watch TV, but it usually meant they took an afternoon nap. Then, the most exciting event of the day started. My younger Sister, Judy, and I would have the privilege of cleaning up this mess. This took most of the day, as my mom, I swear, used every pot and pan in the cupboard, and, of course, the very best china. We would have a quiet discussion about who would wash and who would dry. For some reason, I washed. I don’t know why, as this entailed scrubbing all the dirty pots and pans, but drying seemed to take forever as that entailed putting everything away, and then there was cleanup.
-
Tools of the Trade
My profession throughout my life was that of a legal secretary. It has been both interesting and amazing to witness how office equipment has evolved over my 59 years in this occupation.Tools of the Trade, by Decade
1950s
- Manual Typewriters – The primary tool for all correspondence.
- Mimeograph & Spirit Duplicators – Produced bulk copies.
- Rotary Dial Telephones – Standard desk communication.
- Dictation Machines – Using wax cylinders or early magnetic tape.
- Adding Machines – Mechanical devices for accounting.
- Filing Cabinets – The paper empire of every office.
- Punch Clocks – Employee timekeeping.
-
Sparkles and Super Glue
Fingernails seem to have turned into a full-blown fashion statement these days. Everywhere I look, people are tapping away with tiny works of art on the ends of their fingers. When I was a little girl, nail polish only came out when we played dress-up. The bottles were tiny, the colors questionable, and the application? A complete disaster. We had more polish on our fingers than on our nails. Future nail technicians, we were not.I didn’t help matters by being a chronic nail-biter. My poor nails never had a chance. Any time one dared to grow to a respectable length, I nibbled it right back into oblivion.
Adulthood didn’t bring much improvement. I still bit them, picked them, fussed with them basically, I treated my hands like ready-to-use tools that were always half-demolished. Then came acrylic nails. My youngest daughter gifted me a manicure for her wedding, and from that moment on, I was hooked. Acrylic nails were the thing back then, and for the next twenty-three years, I faithfully showed up every three weeks.
-
A Private Room, Please
When I reflect on the word sickness, I feel that I’ve hardly ever been truly sick. But as I think back, I can see that over the last ten years, I seem to have made up for that. I’ve had a couple of serious illnesses, but I just never chose to consider them life-altering. As a child, I had the usual lineup: chicken pox, measles, mumps, colds, the flu, all those “lovely” little sicknesses that keep life interesting. I especially remember one day in kindergarten, coming home to find a big red sign posted on our front door. It announced that someone inside had a contagious illness and warned others to stay away. At the time, this was a common practice, though not long afterward, that way of announcing illness disappeared.
-
Flowers: My Legal Addiction
You can never have too many flowers, or enough money to pay for them. I always loved flowers, but never had many opportunities to learn about how to accomplish my vision. My first experience of planting came from taking seeds from a boulevard on Midvale Blvd. in Madison, where my aunt and uncle lived. These weren’t really flowers, but were hens and chicks. Also, I was able to gather wild lily seeds from the spent flowers the same way and planted them at home. I was thrilled at my success, but that was it until I had my first home of my own. The first spring that we actually had a lawn, I decided it was time to start my flowers. Well, I purchased two medium-sized redwood planters that I put on the front porch. Not having any experience with planting flowers, I actually took these two planters to a local greenhouse for them to plant a couple of geraniums and a spike in each one. Well, they were lovely even though a two-year-old could have planted this exciting arrangement. I, in my ignorance, was upset when my daughter, Lisa, decided to pick a bouquet for her mom. When she brought this to me, I almost had a stroke. I thought my beautiful flowers were done forever. Boy, do I wish I could turn back the clock and learn how at that age to take a chill pill and love the thoughtfulness of my daughter. Live and learn.
-
Canoe Chaos to Kayak Dreams
I am the proud owner of two kayaks. My family heard me talking about wanting to try kayaking, and they thought I’d love it. At first, they bought me two small ones—only later did I notice there was a weight restriction. So those went back, and we replaced them with two larger ones.I wanted two because I imagined my husband and I paddling together, sharing this new adventure. But I waited too long. My husband has since passed, and now the kayaks sit at our cottage on Lake Michigan. Honestly, they’d be better suited for our calm local lake—but no, we apparently thought braving five-foot waves would be more thrilling. And to top it off, they aren’t even in the water yet. They’re gathering dust, stored away in a shed, waiting for their big debut.
-
Enthusiasm Gets Me In Trouble
You go on with life one day at a time. You find that perfect person to spend the rest of your life with, get engaged, married, have children—and for a while, things are well, even peaceful. In the back of your mind, though, you know another chapter is waiting. Grandchildren. Of course, that’s one thing you have no control over. All you can do is dream, hope, and pray that someday this blessing will be yours to enjoy.One evening, Art and I went out to dinner with our daughter, Michelle, and her husband. Now, since this was not the usual weekday outing, I suspected something was up. Sure enough, when the conversation turned to a “special announcement,” my big mouth got ahead of me. I blurted out the surprise—Michelle was pregnant! Art and I were about to become first-time grandparents.
-
Sleep is a Good Thing
I can only remember a couple of times when I can say I have been truly exhausted.One of those times was during the Christmas Season. This usually causes me a great deal of stress and total exhaustion. I was decorating at the last minute, which is normal for this master procrastinator. My husband was having a social at our house with his meeting buddies. In order for me to create what I thought was “Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Magazine,” I actually stayed up three nights in a row without going to bed or allowing myself to rest in any shape or form. I would not recommend this, as strange things happen to you when you try to go without shuteye. Since I also had to go to work during the day, I decorated all night and continued on my necessary schedule. I can say that I actually started seeing objects in my peripheral vision. To say I was exhausted was an understatement. To start this holiday event, the club that came to my house had a speaker before we were to party. I have never been so tired. I had to use every ounce in my being to stay awake for his speech. What he spoke about, I have no idea. So, don’t try this at any time, as it is very dangerous to your health, taken from experience.
-
Family, My Anchor
My anchor in life has been my family.When I was a minor, I must say that my family anchored me, or at least gave it their all to do so.
As parents, they had a rather difficult job to accomplish this, but they did the best they could, and I feel they did a pretty darn good job. Then, to complete my family and further my grounding, came my two sisters, Kathy and Judy. This family of four was my anchor. I depended on them for my happiness, health, security, and above all, love.
Then, when I became a teenager, I still appreciated my family as those to keep me grounded. At that time, I also met my life partner, Art, and had yet another grounding factor. I must say I depended heavily on these people as my anchor. I had many decisions, such as what direction I would be best fit for in a job, whether or not to participate in school activities, and later on, whether or not to go on to school. Because of these people in my life, my decisions were influenced by them.
-
Dining with Dogs
When I was a kid and living at home, evening meals held in a formal dining room were the norm. Things have changed drastically, wherein formal dining rooms are a thing of the past. Everyone seems to prefer an informal way of living, such as eating at counters, in front of the TV, and in the car on the way to an event. My mom would set the table with a cloth tablecloth, breakable dishes versus plastic, matching silverware, and to top everything off, we ate by candlelight. This didn’t seem odd, and we enjoyed engaging in discussions of our days and events. -
Motivated. . . Against My Will
I had a vision. It was called Amway. Who doesn’t want to get rich? Well, friends started to get involved in this new idea to sell the Amway opportunity. They had products that you sold. The key is becoming a member or distributor and recruiting others to do the same. This allows you to build a downline and potentially become extremely wealthy. Once you reach the diamond level, you’ve arrived at your desired destination: wealth without the effort. Your team members, who have signed up under you, are doing the work, and you reap the benefits of their hard work.It’s never framed that way, of course, because who wants to admit that your big dreams might just land you working hard so someone else can get rich?