On Getting Old -- 54

Aunt Jennie visited Mom at St. Matthew’s about five weeks ago. She mentioned how well Mom was doing, since she left the hospital.

My Aunt lives in Wisconsin just past the Illinois state line. Mom lived in the same community and was a close friend with my Aunt.

A few weeks ago my cousin, Maryann, called to tell me Aunt Jennie went into the hospital. Before I had the opportunity to visit her, she passed. Another small portion excised from my life.

These little pitfalls are strewn along the path we travel. Only when faced with them do we stop to think about the happy times we experienced along the way.

Our families did not have much, but we shared what we did have. We vacationed together in Fox Lake. I remember my Aunt Jennie removing a large sliver from the bottom of my foot that I got from running on the olden wooden pier.

I remember first seeing a television set in a home at my Aunt’s place. The screen was not much bigger than my hand, and it had a huge magnifying glass in front of it.

I remember spending a night with my cousins at their home on the Southside chasing fireflies in the evening.

I remember graduating from eighth grade and sitting next to my Godparents, Aunt Jennie and Uncle Tony.

Maryann and Geri gave me the honor to do the first reading at Aunt Jennie’s funeral mass. We shall remember you always, dear Godmother.

The candy today is a little salty from the tears but no less tasty.

Ciao

On Getting Old -- 53

Rosemary and I opened a letter from our grandson. Our daughter, Yvonne, had written a little note that Calvin was doing well in school and had a surprise for us.

Well, we opened the folded paper and our candy for the day jumped out at us. Calvin wrote us a note all by himself.

“Happy Grandparent’s Day! Love Calvin”

Our little four year old is starting to write. We were so proud and happy. The note took a prominent place on our bulletin board.

The children grow up so quickly these days. I don’t remember starting to write until I was in first grade – about six years old. Come to think of it, I don’t remember anything from 66 years ago. It’s getting to the point where I don’t remember what I had for lunch.

Anyway, the candy was delicious.

Ciao

On Getting OLd -- 52

Today’s candy comes from coincidence. Yesterday I listened to an old time radio program called, Chandu, the Magician. This program was a serial of a magician who was trained in the Orient and had special powers. The episode I listened to dealt with Chandu and his cohorts at the Mena House in Giza. How cool, I thought. Rosemary and I stayed there on our tour of Egypt.

That morning at work Krystyna, the owner of the company, mentioned they were going on a cruise and would be stopping in Egypt. They were going to take a side trip to Cairo and wanted to know where we stayed. I told her of the Mena in Giza, which is just outside of Cairo.

Later that evening a friend, Amy, sent me an email asking about our trip to Egypt. She happened to be going with the same tour group – OAT, Overseas Adventure Travels – as we traveled with. Naturally I mentioned the Mena House, since it had been on my mind.

The memories flooded back. After arriving in Egypt on our tour we were taken by van straight to Giza and the Mena House—our first experience in Egypt, and what an experience. The Mena House was once a palace and is located next to the Great Pyramids. From anywhere in the compound one could see the pyramids – a spectacular sight.

The hotel was something out of the Arabian Nights. Beautiful entrance ways from room-to-room like huge carved key holes, appoints of flowers and artifacts lined every wall, and magnificent dining areas.

In the morning we stepped outside and gazed at the great pyramid. At night the pyramids were lit up and looked ethereal. We did not want to leave the hotel, but we knew greater sights awaited us.

What delicious candy today. A serendipitous occurrence that lead to some wonderful memories.

Ciao

On Getting Ols -- 51

I received an email the other day from my Aunt Doris. She informed me that my cousin, Bobby, was diagnosed with cancer. Bobby and I have not been very close over the years. Usually we met at weddings and lately at funerals.

At the first opportunity I called him. He was at dinner and could not talk very long, but long enough to tell me they—the ominous ‘they’—discovered cancer on his lung. He indicated the cancer was of the large cell type, which is slow growing.

A week later I called him. He was in good spirits. His doctor scheduled him for more tests to determine if the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes or brain. We chatted for quite awhile reminiscing about the old days. We vacationed together. I was the best man at his wedding and was the godfather to his first child. The time passed and I promised to call him about his condition.

Two weeks ago we talked and he was really up. The tests indicated that the cancer had not spread. The course of action was to remove a portion of the lung. He promised to call me after he received information about the upcoming surgery. Bobby was very upbeat and positive.

Two days ago I received a call from Bob. After analyzing the MRI’s, the CAT Scan, and X-Rays, the doctor determined that it was necessary to remove one lung. He was devastated. However, always the optimist he said maybe after they open him up things might appear to be less dire.

Where was today’s candy I wondered? After mulling over our conversations the memories of the past were wonderful. I also looked to his strength and optimism under trying circumstances. After all I was only approaching old age. Surely I can over come this blip in the road. Always—some candy exists.

Ciao

On Getting Old -- 50

St. Matthew chose a perfect day for their Fun Fest. The sun shone beautifully with a nice cooling breeze. Rosemary and I headed to the nursing center about 10:45 AM. Upon entering Mom's room we noticed her abscence. We went to the front lawn where tents were set up. We wandered around unable to find Mom.

Gladys, one of Mom's nurses, led us to where she sat. A tiny tear filled Mom's eye and her voice quavered slightly. "I didn't think anyone was coming to visit me today," she said. Her spirits brightened, when she saw us.

The rest of the afternoon we spent talking, eating hot dogs and ice cream. We listened to the combo play music along with the singer. Mom stayed out for almost two hours before she tired.

Before going back to the room she wanted to see the animals at the small, fenced-in petting area. "Not too close," she warned. Her eyes opened like saucers as she watched the children feed the llama, goats, donkey, pig, and ducks.

A full day for her and she enjoyed every minute. We helped her into bed and kissed her good-bye.

Most delicious candy today -- seeing her brighten up.

Ciao

On Getting Old -- 49

Once a year the Avenues for Independence, a local organization that aids retarded people, hold a fund raising outing at Arlington Park Race Track. We usually invite a friend to join us for the afternoon. This day our friend, Shirley, joined us.

This past Saturday was a glorious day. The weather was perfect. We arrived at the track early to scan the program. We were surprised to find a table reserved for us. After placing bets for the first race we lined up at the buffet table for some food. Spread out before us were bowls of salads, bruschetta, hot plates of chicken, turkey, pasta mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Since I never tasted a turkey dish I didn’t like, I piled my plate with thick slices of roasted turkey with mashed potatoes slathered with gravy. Needless to say the food was terrific.

All afternoon we talked and bet the horses. Every race found us looking out the huge windows cheering our horses to victory. However, only Rosemary found her way back to the betting windows to collect. In the picture showing the horses crossing the finish line, my horse is yet to make it into the scene. For all I know he may still be running.

Today’s candy had some specials tastes. We helped a worthy cause, while at the same time we enjoyed good food and the company of friends. I’m amazed at the fact that so much candy involves good friends and good food.

This trek to 70 isn’t too bad.
Ciao