Today...

Today marked three years ago my husband found out he wouldn't be around much longer. So, in recognizing such I made a list. Things my husband missed with our daughters and then the world:

Oldest getting accepted to the college she wanted the most. 

Youngest applying to colleges.

Oldest learning how to fly on her own, be on her own, go on vacation with friends without us. 

Youngest excelling in sport and academics. 

Oldest graduating high school.

Youngest getting her driver's license. 

Oldest working three jobs while a senior in high school working 30-40 hours a week then achieving Valedictorian. 

Youngest's tennis matches in three of her four years of high school girl's Tennis. 

Oldest buying her first brand new car. Yes all paid up. She has her own car insurance now, she pays it.

Youngest teaching herself how to crochet. 

Oldest working while in college and excelling. 

Youngest throwing shot put indoors and outdoors breaking thirty foot barrier and then some.

Oldest calling and telling me of her days while she's nearly 3,000 miles away at college. 

Youngest becoming a real cook.

And now the world...

We are still fighting for democracy. 

They made a vaccine, but people are still ever more so throwing caution to the wind with their health...because don't you know, we will blame medicine every time for our ill health as adults because that's just what we do.

Our town's tap water is as crappy as ever triple-filtering I do that. Hug a tree and yes, Save the whales and so forth. As to quite a few take this seriously. 

People still posturing like they are tough fighters... never fought in a promotion... Let alone never served the country, much less anyone but themselves. 

Russia invaded the Ukraine. So, there's that.

As I predicted the 45th POTUS wanted to be king and had attempted a coup with ... but of course as I predicted... fascists, nazis, white supremacists and the like were on his side. And you'd wondered and debated me when I told you 40 years ago that we truly needed to watch these nut-cases and not allow Nazis and the like to hold rallies/marches in America. 

And people in New Jersey who insist on living here, still complain about snow and cold weather. But yet won't do anything about their predicament even when they've comfortably retired.

Still 93% of Americans think they're immortal. You can't tell them otherwise, that hasn't changed much. 

We are nearly no longer service oriented. Banks close early, you barely know who your post-person is, let alone know when the mail will arrive. Supermarkets don't really want to use cashiers anymore... so the millionaires become billionaires and the crevasse of our socio-economic divide increases. Too, Supermarkets don't really want people shopping in person anymore... trust me thats my prediction. 

Allopathic (Traditional Western) medicine still only understands 10-15% of the function and what not of our human condition. It's about the greed. And we've still got the same dosage on the OTC labels, vaccines and the like based on white male subjects, weighing 195lbs at 5'10". Or something to that effect. 

The customer is barely ever correct anymore. 

And I am still your George Carlin, Mrs. Clint Eastwood and Cave Woman all rolled into one. I just don't let the kids hear the off-humor I enjoyed and you thought was funny.

And the pets are fine, but much much older. Nibbles misses you still. I went back to school like you would have wanted. Learned how to play the piano... 

I do all your chores and mine. You should see the darn stumps I got out myself. By the way, I redid the kitchen cabinets and what-not myself. I fixed the front screen door. I refurbished the back door. 

I put in video cam, i installed motion sensors and lighting outside our home. I replaced about 26 shrubs around the house and the yard. Yes, did that all myself. I installed all new door sweeps. 

I got Ken our now 79 year old electrician, who knew you before you were born, he put in three ceiling fans and a bathroom fan for us after you passed. I no longer climb up on the roof, because like I didn't want you to do... I hired a company to put filters on our gutters, Yay. 

I've maintained your favorite Bobcat push mower and have been doing our lawn, mowing and raking the acre. I even used organic fertilizer this autumn. Yes, I read the instructions four times. When it snows I clean off our kid's cars and shovel it all. 

And yes, I'm spoiling our youngest as i go out and make certain there's no frost on the car before she goes to school. I had our sidewalk and that apron we despised got that redone too. Dave the plumber and his son put in a new vanity and pipes replacing our 1956 upstairs bathroom. 

Your little red maple is just fine. And that little white pine that you saw at three inches high in between some rocks? Well I potted her after you'd passed and she's nearly eight inches high. By the way, I built a garden in your memory. Hope you'll see it sometime. I think you'd be proud of us, Norm.---Jody-Lynn Reicher