So much has happened since my last entry. Both Katie and Doris went to the Rainbow Bridge, within a week of each other, to join Hannah, George, and Abelard. I sure hope that Daddy likes cats since they are all entrusted to his care........hey, I'm getting older - I can be excentric! (If you are wondering about Sunny, I figure that he is happily with Grandpa.) Now I share my home with two little, sister felines, McCullough (tortese shell) and Louella (calico), and a precious, orange tabby who responds to "Leo." (You guessed it - "Catherine" was already taken.) The new three have eased the pain and loneliness that followed the expected death of Doris and the blindsidedly demise of Katie whom I thought was so robust.
Retirement from the Naval Reserve was a grand event that was made more memorable by the support of so many friends and family. The ceremony was impressive; the reception was elegant.........wish I could have enjojed more of it. It is interesting to note that I am receiving almost twice as much in retirement pay than I did when I was drilling. This doesn't make a lot of sense to me but who's arguing?
Graduation with my bachelor's degree passed in a haze. It was wonderful to have precious friends from both far and near, witness that milestone, capture it on video and help me celebrate that evening with a wonderful dinner at Picolo Mundo - a Hyde Park eatery that I haven't patronized nearly as much as I should.
Plans to depart Chicago are proceeding but at a snail's pace. It is overwhelming to try to coordinate everything that has to be done. It is still scary to move so far away with neither a job, nor the prospect of one, but perhaps leads to a greater sense of adventure.
A few weeks after Bryan's June birthday, he came to my house and I gave him the card that Mother had sent. After he opened it, and we admired its happy message, we decided to call Mother so that Bryan could properly express his appreciation for her thougthfulness. They talked for a while and then Bryan said, "There's just one thing about the card, Gramma. It says 'Wishing you a happy fifth birthday'." (Bryan celebrated his 23rd birthday on 28 June.) There was a pregnant silence...........and then, an audible gasp from Mother. "Oh no", Mother replied, "I sent you the birthday card for Jonathan!"
Posted by leah at July 23, 2004 01:41 PMit is so nice to see you here again. I already knew most of this entries content. Now it is documented for all to see.
Posted by: rita on July 23, 2004 06:08 PMYour retirement ceremony certainly received high praise from your sisters; I was sorry that circumstances prevented me from attending to share in your milestone (although not sorry about the circumstance itself, of course, who smiles more and more every day).
It was funny to open the card from Grama and read her note that she had sent the card intended for Jonathan to Bryan, who's not even old enough to be ready to relive his youth yet.
And I can tell that the house-selling process must be stressful--"excentric" instead of "eccentric"? "Tortese" instead of "tortoise"? Your entries are always so perfect, these jumped out at me. (Although perhaps the lyrics link from Meredith and Courtney's recent entry have sensitized me .)
Posted by: Elizabeth on July 23, 2004 07:44 PMThank you, Elizabeth, for your corrections. I knew there was something amiss when some of the words just didn't look right. The spell-check function wouldn't open so I backed out of that and decided to wing it with full confidence that a beloved family member would help me with corrections. There are also some, I think two, syntax problems.........at the time, I just wanted to post and part.
Posted by: Leah on July 24, 2004 10:33 AMLeah said: "There are also some, I think two, syntax problems....."
I was particularly wondering about "...the blindsidedly demise...", but thought it indelicate to mention. Now that the matter has been broached, however,....
Posted by: Patrick on July 24, 2004 11:02 PMPatrick, I meant to say that I was blindsided by the death of Katie so quickly after the death of Doris - from one Saturday to the next. I knew that there was a problem with that construction - thanks for asking.
Margaret - GOT IT!!!
Posted by: Leah on July 26, 2004 01:33 PM