RAMBLINGS...........June, 2013

By:  Diane Sawdon

When I hear people use the words, “at my age,” when they refer to being a member of the older generation,  my blood does a slow simmer and I want to make them swallow their words.   My Grandma used to tell me that “you are only as old as you feel,” and she lived by these words to the grand, old age of 93.    Well, I must confess that I succumbed to the “at my age,” words.   I was standing on this step stool/chair piece of furniture that we have in our master bedroom closet, attempting to grab chair cushions which were on the very top shelf.  I will also confess that I did not flip the chair part into the step stool position and, worst of all, I did not make sure that this solid oak piece of furniture was latched into the chair position.  When I planted my size eight feet on the very edge of the chair straining to reach the top shelf, the chair gave way and the cushion and I landed with a most ungraceful thud on top of this splintered chair.   Do you have any idea how hard solid oak is and when you land on it, body parts turn all sorts of colors.  I have the best body art on my cheesy thighs right now---a tatoo artist would be proud of the colors.  My  Roommate, hearing the crash, came in to see if I was still walking and talking.  I was furious and thankful at the same moment.   “At my age,”  it could have been so much worse.   The next few days, my stiff body reminded me that my Grandma was correct, though.   “You are only as old as you feel,” and for about five days I felt close to one hundred.   My dear husband glued and screwed the chair back together.  Am I ever going to stand on it again??  No!  Lesson learned the hard way.

I think there is a saying that goes something like “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”  I am not sure if that is the exact quote, but, hopefully, it is close enough.   I attended our Annual Homeowner’s Association Meeting yesterday.  Now, I am the first one to admit that I am a devout contrarian,  and that my presence in this neighborhood is an irritant to many because I refuse to play by “their” rules.    Do the women, who are mostly Senior Citizens, need to act like Mean Girls in High School??    One had better partake of the latest diet, fitness or hair style craze to fit in with the “In Crowd.”   I listened to one neighbor, very subtly, accuse another neighbor of not being sane or intelligent.  Another gentleman had to pursue his role as Class Comedian for the sake of attention.  And the one neighbor who feels the need to impress others of his liberal views suggested that the rules of the Architectural Committee were written by Joseph Stalin.   Ahhhhhhhh, just another day in the “Hood.”   These meetings seem to digress to this level just about every year.    I think I have come to the conclusion that next year I will just give my Proxy to someone and do something else that morning.   My husband was the smart one this year.  He decided to “boycott” the meeting.  

Well, it is June and the temperature outside is in the 90s.  We are experiencing an instant Summer overnight.  Last week we had rain showers.   I need to brag about our Veggie Garden----- at the present time, we have squash and small, orange tomatoes.  We’ll be ready for our own Farm Stand before you know it!!  20 more days until the official arrival of Summer.   Enjoy the lazy days of Summer.