My Top Ten list on aging

The dirty, low-down, no good monster has crept up from behind and overtaken me!

Webster has this to say about it:
 Ageing or aging (American and Canadian English) is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time.

I have this to say about it:

# 1.

First comes retirement(this is a good thing - especially when you can retire at age 53)

       An end to 13 years of early hour rising followed by a hurried trip to the train station.. followed by a 35 minute ride into  downtown Chicago.. followed by a five block walk through piles of snow, icy sidewalks, freezing wind...followed by dealing with young graduates who have just passed their CPA exams and have little knowledge of, and NO experience in bookkeeping... an end to long hours of work during tax season (Jan. 1 - April 15th.)

  

I retired in 1988. This picture was taken in 1981...before bookkeeping was computerized and receipts, disbursements, sales, purchases, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, journals and general ledgers were entered by hand writing...ughh!


#2.
FREEDOM

Traveling, spending time with grandchildren, going to movies (during the day!),enjoying sex (during the day!),going out for breakfast at 10 am...These are all good things!     

sorry....no pictures available of "having sex during the day"....

# 3.

Moving back to Texas! 1988 a good thing...

                   "Pictures are worth a thousand words."

# 3.
1988

  Acquiring new furniture and purchasing what, at the time, you thought would be your last home. Again, these are good things:

 Plano, Texas

# 4.
Downsizing 1999 
  really not such a bad thing...we were still able to enjoy a nice home...and without so much upkeep and expense...

it really does snow in the Dallas area

great-grandkids enjoying my bath tub...

PaPa Peete enjoying another great-grandchild...

# 5.
gray hair, wrinkles and flab... ughhh  the noticeable changes...

1989...age 59 and 54

1999   age 69 ad 64

2009...age 79 and 74...April 24, Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, Mena, Ar...our 56th.  wedding anniversary (and our last one together)

the worst is yet to come.................

# 6.
Aches, pains and other physical maladies

   

Arthritis, gall bladder removal, minor depression, weight gain...all me....enlarged prostate,(that would be him, of course :)high blood pressure, arrhythmia, nuclear stress tests, cataract removal, colonoscopies, ...are we having fun yet? has it really been a month since we had sex !!!

# 7.

Losing a good friend

with Bill and Beth Shipman, Mena Ar. 1956

     

New Years Eve with Bill and Beth...1993

# 8

Saying goodby to mother 1915

 1931

1956

.

mother, dad, me and my siblings..each of us at around the age of 30 yrs

Mom, Bob and our children 1965

Mom and Barb...1992...a few months before she died in '93 from emphysema

# 9.
Cancer

 first, our beautiful Laura... I believe it was 1998..she is a cancer survivor...praise the Lord...

and my beloved husband 2009.2010

# 10.
Losing Bob

Don't Say Anything, Author Unknown

Don't tell me "things happen for a reason."

Don't tell me to "keep busy" and "move on."

Don't tell me that you "know how I feel."

Don't tell me that it was "too hard" for YOU to talk to ME about the death of MY husband.

Don't tell me that YOU feel "uncomfortable"looking at his picture or calling me on his birthday.

Don't SAY anything to try to make me feel better.

Hug me.

Listen to me.

Sit quietly with me.

Let me cry.

Smile when you look at his picture.

Help me plant a tree in his memory.

Allow me to sleep wrapped in his clothing.

Light a candle.

Release a balloon.

Walk with me on my journey.

Remember him forever.