Forty years ago we married for time 11December1982

i realized months ago our 40th was approaching. Thankfully we celebrated 26 together.He died 13 years ago and is missed every day. Happy Anniversary to me.

I've lived a quarter century past Mother's age.

I think of her every day. She did a lot of living in her half century.

I'm in the autumn of my life (still).

I've decided up to 25 is spring, up to 50 is summer, up to 75 is autumn, and up to 100 is winter.

Swim routine

I swim laps a mimimum 30 minutes at our HOA pool. I start with the freestyle, butterfly, breast, dog paddle, underwater, and a crawl stroke. Then I get on my back for backstroke, and three for leg exercise I devised. These 10 laps take me 15 minutes. I also enjoy three somersaults forward and three back, in the deep end. I never regret a swim and feel better with a good attitude or as someone said, an attitude adjustment. I'm grateful for the location of our home bought more than 22 years ago near pool, library, senior center, downtown, and public transportation where I've walked to or from many times. Swimming has been a part of our family since I was a child and I swim almost daily, not Sunday, during the season.

Welcome Back Independence Day Celebration

I may have been solo but I had a nice time. The 5K was cheered on by neighbors and me on our street until 9 a.m. Then I walked downtown to enjoy the parade and its a good one. I danced to Happy in the plaza before it started. I came home and finally ate a meal, lots of good salads on my porch. Then it was time to swim. I found the entire HOA pool deserted and swam 15 minutes before two families came, then swam another 15 minutes. Weather was mild only reaching 80* when I checked. I read the Declaration of Independence in about 15 minutes. I was able to video chat with my children and their families over the course of the afternoon. I was so happy. First was Paul with his date at the park venue. Then catching my daughter and her family returning from vacation so I also called later once they were home. And finally reaching my son and his family talking to their boys one at a time. I was about to leave for music at the high school when I found A Capitol Fourth was live on my ipad. So I watched that, but it had lots of pauses. I then talked to Kathy. I was invited to watch fireworks next door but was solo there as Mary got the virus from her mother and they stayed inside. I saw fireworks for an hour! I ended up seeing PBS News Hour and the beginning of a Grit movie before turning in. I didn't see my two ferals all day but they were both ready for breakfast this morning. Today is grandmother Olive's birthday. It was celebrated on the 4th and that wrong date is on her headstone. Her husband's is incorrect too. Our bbq was last used in 2009 by my husband with his daughter over to celebrate. I'm fine with delish salads and don't need the meat.

Vollrath Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware

I still have mine, missing handles and all. A salesman in the financial district approached me and from that encounter my three roommates and I all bought a set on a time plan. It made it seem less expensive. They have a lifetime warranty. The salesman came and cooked us a meal in our apartment stacking pans on top of each other. I've never cooked like that but I've never forgotten the demo.

An oak roll-top desk and antique foot-operated sewing machine

I've been very gratified to help two neighbors give away a desk and a sewing machine, both advertised on Facebook Marketplace. The desk took some 2-1/2 months but finally someone picked it up and it's not in the driveway in the weather! I sometimes walk to the end of my street and on the way back I noticed an antique in the back of a red pick-up and talked to the owner there. By the time I got home I decided to advertise it and several responded. The first one, Veronica, said she'd be right over and she agreed to let me come with her as I didn't even have the address. She saw it and wanted it but the owner was not home. She left her number with the mother and about an hour later notified me she and her husband had picked up the antique sewing machiine. Her grandmother had used one. Both of these owners had told me they were about to destroy these beautiful antiques if someone didn't take them. Yay for social media advertising!