This old gal…

Was excited to get back to her Iowa home…knew it wouldn’t be the same without Old Man Wrigley…but her heart was eager…to see his furry sidekick…

Roddy Piper…neighborhood cat extraordinaire…waiting at the door each morning…for breakfast and a cuddle…heading out to roam…stopping by several times during the day…

Eight months…Roddy and Wrigley…the dynamic feline duo…keeping vigil over the back yard…entertaining…befriending…giving two old folks…purpose…

Knew Roddy Piper had other friends up the block…but was sure with winter over…he’d head our way to say hello…a delightful reunion…the scene…

A field of flowers…smarmy music…slow motion…old gal arms outstretched…loping through…furry friend…navigating the blooms like a pro…trying to get to her…but no…

This…was not to be…he…was not to be…our hearts…broke…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

Those ladies of mine…

Laughing it up on Besties chat…that bird hijacking Birthday Girl’s pastry…Midge the Beast immediately Venmoing cash…to treat her sister to another…joking about redemption…smuggling this one out under wraps…to enjoy somewhere less pesky…

There’s an innocent quip about feeding the birds…Birthday Girl sharing that she likes to celebrate by buying something for someone else…so this meal…could be just that…

Didn’t know she did this…treated someone in need…on her special day…had never shared it…or bragged about it…in fact felt a little guilty…cuz we all know birthday girl me…only buys things for herself…on HER big day…

And there it was…in this brief chat…signs…that there’s still good in the world…sometimes it’s a worry…that good is losing the battle…as anger and hate gains momentum…

But good is there…in those girls of mine and their people…you Rambling friends and your people…and this old gal…and her people…and with wings like eagles…there is hope…will always be hope…because what’s life…without hope…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

That daughter of mine…

In all her miracle-ness…has always kind of had…that miracle vibe…

Mama me not sure…she’d ever get to be Mama me…took time…lots of procedures…a long drawn out surgery…before the miracle happened…

But all was not easy…nine months in…traumatic birth…cord wrapped around her neck…touch and go…emergency surgery…that beautiful miracle was born…

And so today…31 years later…we celebrate that miracle of mine…

Out there every day…doing what you’d expect a miracle to do…caring for others…supporting those in need…loving people and pets…reading books…browsing estate sales…snacking…on cream cheese…

Happy Birthday oh marvel of mine…may your day be as blessed…as this life of mine has been…since the day…you were born…

And yes…it really is her birthday…the calendar has been double…and triple…checked…
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And those sisters of yours…agree…

This old gal…

Heard from a friend…omg…she said…your blog just popped up again in my feed…I hadn’t seen it in awhile…I thought you had stopped writing…

And so it is…that algorithm…throwing things off…one never knows what will pop up from day to day…and without pushing that follow button…this old gal…could certainly fall down some FB rabbit hole…

And not gonna lie…rambling me…does notice when you are gone…not in the…omg they must have found a hipper…cooler…ramblinger page to brighten their day…but more like…wow…they haven’t commented in a while…I hope they are ok…cuz even if we’ve never met…when you engage…you become…part of this journey…

And what fun would this journey be…without each of you…one could ramble with herself…but she does that…already anyway…

So if you haven’t already…go to the Retirement Ramblings page…and tap follow…show that algorithm…who’s boss…
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And blogger me…hopes you agree…

This old gal…

Made a new BFF in the grill line at HuHot…she and her sons were in town…for her doctor’s appointment…this old gal shared that she was in town…for the same reason…

Did they tell you you were crazy too…came her quip…then followed with…well you are younger than me…I’m 83…we chatted a bit more…about her boys…how she’d buried three husbands…and then she says…

I kind of wish I was dead…you know…all your life…you want to grow older…get married…have kids…have money…well I have all that…I have everything…yet…I have…nothing…

This lady…spry…sassy…eyes twinkling with every comment…drops…that bombshell…in the HuHot grill line…brought the conversation back…to how wonderful her sons were…one stopping at our table later to say…his mother…had just been diagnosed…with dementia…

Went to her booth on the way out…put a hand on her shoulder…told her…she was delightful…she smiled…chuckled…and said…who are you…

Bless you…dear friend of mine…star of your show…main character in your life story…may nothing…no nothing…dull…your beautiful…shine…
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And those sons of yours…would agree…

This old gal…

Found one other surprise waiting for her…when she returned from the Texas hiatus…not quite a gift…but thought provoking in its own way…

Had the house all ready for the December departure…water off…fridge emptied…garbage out…everything clean and tidy…but forgot one thing…one bag of things…in the cupboard under the sink…that bag of russet potatoes…left behind…to rot and stink…

But it would seem…these young little tubers…were able to handle four months…without mama me…navigating their every move…didn’t stink at all…but instead…like that magical beanstalk of Jack’s…began to blossom…grow…reach for the sky…or…something…

And so it is…mama me…always worried about those tots of hers…always feeling the need to helicopter parent…from her arm chair…a gazillion miles away…

But like this Jack in the beanstalk spud…those gals are finding their way…growing…blossoming…reaching for the sky…and relieved mama me…

Thinks that is just…yam-azing…
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And those daughters of mine…agree…

This old gal…

Up since the wee hours of the morning…the phone set for multiple weather alerts…bad storm moving east…hits daughter’s town…an hour later Old Town…an hour later…yours truly…

Decided to call that brother of mine…that birthday brother of mine…wish him a happy day…he picks up…says we’re good…the storm missed us…sister me butts in…I called to wish you a happy birthday…an awkward pause…until she hears…that’s not until tomorrow…

And so it is…birthday boy’s sister…is kind of embarrassed…organized…checks the calendar multiple times a day…this…is not the type of blunder she usually makes…could make an excuse…but there aren’t any….it’s old age…pure and simple…things slowing down a bit…the tack not as sharp as it used to be…

Those little chinks in the armor…wearing away…at the me young me…used to be…just another sign…it’s ok to slow down…ok…to give yourself some grace…

And a reminder…to double check…maybe even triple check…that calendar…when important days…are coming up…
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And that husband of mine…agrees…

Old Gal moment…posted this a day early. His bday is tomorrow so we shall celebrate his awesomeness two days instead of one.

When this old gal was a kid…

A stray cat showed up at our house…a stray cat…who soon gave birth to three adorable kittens…one black…one striped…one gray…each of us…got to name one…little me…named the striped one Domino…that younger brother of mine…named the black one Charcoal…that big brother of ours…named the gray one…

Gray…just Gray…plain old Gray…because…he was gray…drove the rest of us nuts…be creative…we said…be clever…we said…but no…Gray it stayed…

Looking back…how clever that name was really…how funny…how creative…and how fitting…coming from that pizza making brother of mine…

Simple…yet not…solid…but with a unique flare…thoughtful…introspective…yet witty and clever…and like that cat…so many years ago…Gray…just plain Gray…

He’s full of color…his own kind of color…that anyone that knows him…truly knows him…can’t help…but see…

So today…we celebrate 65 of anything but plain years…for that birthday brother of mine…husband…father…grandfather…brother…uncle…boss…and friend…

Happy Birthday…Pizza Guy…may your day be filled with rainbows and unicorns and all things old guys like you love…
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And those nieces of yours…agree…

This old gal…

Came home from Texas…to a surprise…well not one surprise…but two…ok not two surprises…but three…three unexpected things waiting upon her return…

A Christmas card…apparently the post office doesn’t forward Christmas cards…with a heartfelt note…and a treat for coffee…

A package…carrying a squishy little guy from Boston…caught the eye of a weary traveller…who knew squishy lover me…just had to have it…

And a bag from that sweet neighbor of mine…no reason…just a…this made me think of you gift…written on Mary Engelbreit stationery nonetheless…

Thoughtful…kind people…doing thoughtful…kind things…making this old gal feel noticed…making this old gal…feel special…

Making this old gal feel lucky…to be blessed…with such amazing friends…vowing…to continue to pay it forward…in her own…thoughtful…kind ways…
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And this husband of mine…agrees…

​That daughter of mine…

Scratched her arm as we were walking…then turned and said…omg Mom…I’ve started to be a loud scratcher like you…

Had to pause…a loud scratcher…sounded like a Seinfeld skit…you know low talker…close talker…now loud scratcher…had to clarify the term loud scratcher…had to clarify that this apparent loud scratching…has been one of those irritating mom things…moms do…that bug kids…

Was a little shocked…to be honest…Mama me was sure…she knew each and every one…of those little things she does…that drove her teens…up the wall…crunching…chewing…sucking air between the front teeth…Ho Humming…lack of modesty…sitting too closely on the couch…

The list goes on…but loud scratching…is it real…can scratching be loud…noticeable…irritatingly noticeable…apparently so…

And that’s ok…it’s just another thing…that makes their mama special…to highlight when she’s gone…herein lies our mother dearest…Cheeto cruncher…Ho Hummer…loud scratcher…

She…and her loud scratching…will truly… be missed…

And those daughters of mine…will agree…
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We all have our irritants…I can’t stand to hear whistling…what’s yours?