I was just sitting on my screened porch yesterday on a beautiful, soft, cool spring morning reading a book on my Kindle, smelling the sweet smell of my Easter lily on the table, and thinking that it doesn't get much better than this.
My youngest DD and SIL came in yesterday for a two week visit. I am home base as they both have lots o family and friends here. Going to enjoy this time with them. Had spent Easter with older DD and SIL earlier this month. (April is my birthday month : )
This past Saturday I emceed the annual reunion of a bunch of "old timers" who worked together in the aerospace industry fifty to sixty years ago. Our numbers have shrunk from the 200 who attended the first reunion my DW and I hosted at our home back in 1996, but we still had a turnout of just over a hundred this time. At that first reunion the emcee got my DW up to the podium and presented her with a long stemmed red rose in recognition of her good work in tracking down addresses and mailing out invitations and keeping track of the money and opening up her home for the reunion, and I can still hear her response -- "It's just been a joy!" We still enjoy meeting and telling and retelling stories of the glory days when our small company was playing an important role in keeping the peace during the Cold War years. A friend recently published a book about those days -- it's called "High Tech Among The Palmettos -- The Story Of Radiation, Inc. And How It Changed The Face Of South Brevard County" and is available from Amazon.com if anyone is interested in space history.
The cast of characters life long friends and former neighbors from NY---- She lost her husband 6 weeks ago. Historically she and her husband would visit with DW and I and spend several days with us while visiting with family who reside in the area then we'd all drive over to Sarasota to visit with another former neighbors for the weekend. They would rent a home on the West coast of Florida for a month while DW and I would return home after 4-5 days in Sarasota visiting.
After her recent loss, I invited her to come and visit with "A" and me. She could use my car to visit with her family then we'd all go over to Sarasota. She got off the plane totally distraught. She had lost her phone the night before!!! A quick change of clothing and off to the AT&T store (making sure she brought her iPad to restore contacts. Naturally, her contract didn't expire until May.. but the salesman had an "quick" solution. She could get a new iPhone for ONLY $30. down and $30's for the next 36 mos. NO Way I'd let her fall into that trap when she'd get a free phone on May 4th when her current contract expired. I inquired about a" pay as you go phone/plan" - $15.00 per month for a flip phone with all her contacts restored and problem was resolved. Email would be handled via wi fi and the iPad for 2 weeks was not insurmountable. You never saw a great look of relief on the face of my friend ...Within an hour of landing we had completed the transaction with AT&T and were enjoying lunch at the pool and everything that followed for the week was perfect - ideal weather and great company The whole visit was as Martha used to say: "A good thing"