Time Has Made Changes

 

August 2025? How can this even be reality!? Five years since the last post and over 21 years since I started this blog!, let me tell you ALOT of changes have taken place. 

1. RETIREMENT: Last year I was "forced" into retirement. After ten years with the company, they said they no longer would need me as my position had been consolidated. So, instead of looking for work, I chose to retire.

2. FAMILY: In 2023 I lost my mother to cancer. She had deteriorated from Alzheimer's to the point that we had to place her in a care facility. In September of 2023 she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that had metastasized into her stomach, bladder, and kidneys. They said she had about 30 days and on the 28th day from her diagnoses, she passed. Father is still here, living at home and as active as he can be for 86. My 4 kids are 33 and up to 44... My grandchildren are 19, 19, 17 and the youngest just turned 5. Time is moving by at a pace that I have a hard time keeping up. 

3. FLORIDA: In May of this year I relocated to Pensacola, Florida. I mean why not, right? I'm 65, retired, isn't that what we do at 65? It came as a surprise when DJ and B decided they wanted to sell the house and buy in Florida. We thought over it for a long time, and after dealing with family opinions and much thought, we put the house on the market and moved to the Sunshine State.

4. LOKI: Loki is my companion, friend, baby and the reason for my sanity or the loss of it. He is a shiatzu / bichon mix (what they call a "Teddy Bear" dog.) I adopted him in 2021, and he is an integral part of me. 

Those are the four biggest changes over the last five years. The other change would be me. I've turned almost completely white-headed, had another mild stroke in 2022, and I am beginning to see those tell, tell signs of aging. For the most part I am healthy in mind, body and spirit and enjoying the sunshine and my new home. 

Hopefully I will post more often, but I'm not making any promises. Maybe at least one a month?

We'll see...

Four Generations

 Spent a little bit of time yesterday with my youngest grandchild, Lizzie. She doesn't look very comfortable in this picture, but she was happy. She is almost always happy, or maybe I should say content. She doesn't cry much (at least not while I was there today) and she tries to coo and communicate.

My mother and father followed me to my daughter's house to see their great grandchild for the first time. Mother, who is in the late stages of Alzheimer's had no idea that this was her great-grandchild or even remembered her name after two minutes. I think we had to tell her about seven time what her name was. She may not have known her, but she loved her! Wanted to hold her so bad. But she wasn't able. Dad, as always was all smiles. Always is when he is around his family.

My son wasn't here, as Lizzie was visiting with her Aunt for the weekend to give her mommy & daddy a break. But four generations, how is that even possible. It seems like yesterday it was just me and these two. My mom & Dad (that was before my brothers as I was five before my first sibling came along)

Mother is 82 now, and even though here in body, mother left us a few years ago. Slowly. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease. She is nothing close, personality wise to who she used to be. She doesn't know any of us now, except for Dad. Regardless, she still smiles, and gives the best hugs. She also tells us all about her mom and dad. My grandparents died in 1999 and 2000, but she believes she lives with them.  And maybe in her mind she does and that is okay. 

Cherish days like this. Family. Parents. 

This is what life is really all about.