New Shoes in the Rain

Good morning to all.  I hope that your  holiday celebrations were joyous and safe! 2016 is almost over, thank goodness.  I don't know of another year that I have found so punishing in so many ways.  But let me start this discourse by expressing my sincere gratitude that no one in my family has experienced any major health issues in this tumultuous year. I don't think I need to replay my own professional challenges in 2016.  After being unexpectedly laid off from my former employer, I was in the career market for more than six frustrating months, but am now working full-time.  So I suppose there is some recompense. In my last post I mentioned how few Christmas cards we had received this year.  Sadly, a couple of those cards contained news of the death of 1/2 of the couple with whom we correspond.  Both of those who departed this world had experienced health challenges in the months leading up to their deaths, but that does not make it any less jarring. And we've rece

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone.  Hope that you'll have the opportunity to be with people you love over the next few days! We're expecting several days of off-and-on rain here in central Kentucky.  Granted, our climate here is usually rather temperate, but a lot of folks, namely my wife and grandchildren, really like to see a white Christmas.  Maybe next year! I think at this time last year that I noted that we're receiving fewer and fewer Christmas cards.  The trend has continued this year, as it appears we've received eleven thus far.  I was telling a friend not long ago how our mailing list swelled to something close to 60 households a few years ago, after first one and then the other of our children were married, so we gained more extended family. My theory remains that people rely much more heavily on social media than traditional holiday greetings to say hello, wish others a happy holiday season, and stay in touch.  We're old-fashioned enough that we sen

Good Friday morning to all of you.  Hope it's not too cold where you are! Let's start there.  At the ripe old age of 56, I can confirm how much I HATE being cold.  I dislike being hot, have for virtually my whole life, but the hating to be cold is a more recent phenomenon.  After experiencing heart issues some years ago, I noticed how much more affected I was by cold temperatures, indoors or out.  Continues to this day. Our grandson (the local little guy, not the one in Colorado) is following in his dad's footsteps, or should we say skate tracks, and has been involved in classes designed to teach kids how to play hockey.  He really likes it, too, and we went to the first couple of classes way back to encourage him, but now he routinely asks my wife or me if we are "coming to see me play hockey."  So we do.  Not so bad normally, but this stretch of classes has been held in a rink where there is no spectator area, so we stand at ice level watching.  And freezing

Greetings on a rainy Tuesday morning, friends.  We're due to have a day of rain here, and then a couple of days hence, it's gonna be COLD here! There's an old saying that a gentleman never discusses his ailments, but let me begin by mentioning that I have had a stubborn upper respiratory disorder for more than a couple of weeks.  I feel bad, then improve, then I decline again.  Right now I feel pretty good, but in twelve hours, who knows?  My wife is in what we hope are the final stages, too. Important to note because here we are, December 6, and we've done very little regarding Christmas.  Oh, we've decorated our smallish house, with my wife and I finding the final touch over the weekend, replacing a lighted wreath for the front door wherein the old one gave out when we plugged it in.  Actually, SHE found the final touch yesterday, as she came in with a bow for the new model. And we've planned a bit of our shopping, just about all of it for immediate fami