Therapy

Isn't that the truth? 

Blood

If I am not able to give blood myself, I can sure help at the bloodmobile. Today was a good day as the city auditorium was transformed into a Red Cross convenient place to donate blood. I worked the registration desk with my good friend, Alice. The people donating are called to the next area where they are screened and tested. The ones able to donate are then led to a vacant table and made comfortable.

After they fill up a bag with their blood, they are escorted to an area set up like a lunch room and fed sandwiches and chips and pickles and snacks and drinks. The volunteers are encouraged to partake in the fare, but since I eat gluten free there is usually not much I could snack on anyway. But it is fun to watch the folks munching and visiting until they are told it is okay for them to go when they are ready.

There is truly a need for blood, and I admire the people who share with others like this. The one and only time I be-bopped into a Red Cross bloodmobile years ago, I was on the table a long time, long enough to watch people on each side of me come and go several times. Finally the lab tech told me I can't give blood, they couldn't even get a third of what they get from others. My itty bitty veins don't cut the mustard, or in this case, the blood.  But that doesn't keep me from helping in my own way.

Bingo Babes

My closest friends and I go together to bingo in various local areas. Another group of gals from our area have been playing bingo together for years and they wear cute shirts that say "Bingo Babes".

We get along very well with the other group, and sometimes share rides, and we told them we are going to get shirts too. But we can't come up with a name we like.

Someone suggested "Bingo Beauties", and we have thought maybe "We win at Bingo" (we do!), or "Seniors Do It At Bingo".

Any suggestions?

Neighbor Kids

There is a nice family living across the street from where I have been living. Seven children, some not living at home now, but the three youngest are about 10, 8, and 5.

Those three youngest kids would take care of my cat when I would be out of town. They are Lola's  catsitters. And they took the job seriously. They would come over in the morning and clean the cat box and put fresh water and dry food in the bowls. Then each evening they would repeat the tasks. Their mom would private message me on my facebook page with updates of how Lola was doing.

Sometimes when I would walk out the door and head to the car, one or all of the kids would say "Hi, CiCi, how is Lola?"  Or, "Do you want to see the worm we found?"

One day this week after taking a car load to the new place, I returned home to find a bag hanging on my door. A hand written note was taped to the front of the bag that says To CiCi from each child's first name and then their last name. Inside are notes from each of the three children, loving and sweet notes as well as pictures they drew and painted for me. And the present was a plastic container of berries they picked in their yard.

Thank goodness this is a very small town. I would be sad to think I wouldn't see these kids again. They would sometimes ask if I needed help carrying something. I think I will keep this bag and notes for a long time.

How Is The Move Going

How is the move going, you ask. Well, it feels like I am in a sort of limbo. When I saw the duplex the middle of June, the landlord told me I would able to move in on July 1st. So I am paying rent in this place and the new place, as well as all the utilities. This is a costly month.

When I went to the new place the afternoon of July 1st nothing had been done. The landlord had told me he would have new carpet in the hallway and living room, new mini blinds throughout, plumbing issue in bathroom ceiling fixed, and I would be able to put my car in the garage. None of that has happened.

Yesterday the carpet was pulled up in the hallway and living room and the huge riding lawn mower and two other mowers and ladders and tools were rearranged in the garage so I can at least start storing boxes in the garage now. The car, though, will not be able to be in the garage yet. I don't need the car in the garage, but it riles me to pay for something and not get it.

Today I am heading over to the new place to continue cleaning. The kitchen is four times the size of the kitchen here in this little apartment so after I get the cupboards cleaned I will start taking over kitchen things. It will get done, just not as I had planned in the timing I had scheduled.

If I ever mention the "move" word again, just slap me silly!

Saving The Economy

To help save the economy, the government will announce that the immigration department will start deporting seniors instead of illegals in order to lower social security payouts and medicare costs.

Older people are easier to catch and can't remember how to get back home.

This is obviously a joke, someone sent it to me in email. But, hey, how many of you will I see on the bus?

This is the kind of senior joke that my friends and I send to each other regularly.

Independence Day

Last night two friends invited me to go with them to the next town to watch fireworks. We parked in industrial area, got chairs out of the car, and sat and visited till the fireworks began. Hundreds of people were doing the same. Families had come earlier and eaten. The family next to us was playing cards. It was like being at a campground, one of my favorite things to do.

Fireworks began at 10:00, lasted about a half hour. They were humongous. We had perfect seats for the view of city skyline and the wonderful fireworks display.

Afterwards we drove into town for ice cream sundaes!

Whatever you have planned for today or end up doing on this fourth of July, stop for a moment and say a prayer of thanks for our freedom as a country and count yourself among the people with the wisdom to see the need to protect and preserve this planet.

Elderly Drivers

This was sent via email, making the rounds to all my friends. Not a true story, but it probably has some truth in it anyway.

My neighbor was working in his yard when he was startled by a late model car that came crashing through his hedge and ended up on his front lawn.

He rushed to help an elderly lady driver out of the car and sat her down on a lawn chair.

He said with excitement "You appear quite elderly to be driving."

"Well, yes I am", she replied proudly.

"I'll be 97 next month, and I am now old enough that I don't even need a driver's license to drive anymore."

"The last time I went to my doctor he examined me and asked if I had a driver's license. I told him yes, and handed it to him. He took scissors out of the drawer, cut the license into pieces, and threw it into the waste basket saying 'you won't need this anymore', so I thanked him and left."