Don't just sit and rock!

[Henry Hawk]

She's still around but busier than ever. . . I hear from her every now and again, and remind her that she has all but abandoned her cyber family here. . . 

Yeah, I miss her too.......she was my all-time favorite lib....she could knock me around like nobody else, but still give me a hug and a kiss at the end of the day...

[Palehorse]

She isn't gone, she's just a left-coaster. You know, all that sunshine and warmth 365 days a year. They don't get shut inside by the weather like the rest of us. . .

I think she may have caught Gump-itus. . .

[Henry Hawk]

 

[The Troll]

I sure do miss her. She was one of the originals way back when the Bluefield Daily Telegraph posting board joined Hey Martha.

  My dad lived to 92 , drove a car until he was 89.  He didn't smoke, didn't drink and from all of his friends have said, he didn't chase women.    But his heart wore out  and he took the long trip from where no one returns.  My man.   

[libby]

  My dad lived to 92 , drove a car until he was 89.  He didn't smoke, didn't drink and from all of his friends have said, he didn't chase women.    But his heart wore out  and he took the long trip from where no one returns.  My man.   

My dad was a coal miner, and he smoked and drank and cussed, but he was a good man who worked hard and fiercely protected his family. He died when he was 48 -- lung cancer. My mother, who was 5 years younger, died when she was 78. Never re-married, although she had at least 3 offers that I knew of. She never learned to drive, rode the bus to town, had friends and neighbors who looked out for her, drove her to church.  She went out to dinner with some friends the night before she had a massive heart attack. One sister was with her -- the other 4 of us got there too late to say goodbye. 

[Palehorse]

My late father started his career with Western Electric at a young age. He worked his way up through the ranks to Section Chief and then as the company began downsizing he was asked to occasionally act as a trouble shooter for the company. He was sent to locations all over the country for awhile, but once he went to New Orleans they began sending him, and only him to that location. They and a problem dad got on a plane and fixed it for them. We almost moved there when they eventually closed the Chicago plant when dad was 53. . . In fact he went down there for 3 months, flying home weekends; it was that close. . .

But dad decided the buyout was good enough for him after 30 years of service. They told him he was too young to retire, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Then he bought a small farm back in Kentucky, where he was born, and he and mom sold the house and off they went. 11 years later, on October 8, 2000 at 9:00 am, he got up to go into the kitchen. Likely for a can of beer. He never made it through the doorway and was dead before he hit the floor. Massive heart attack.

Mom had been taking a nap and the sound of him hitting the floor awakened her. She found him on the floor, eyes half open and his cigarette still smoking and clinched in his right hand.

Unexpected and devastating in ways that still echo within my life to this day.

Mom lingered for another 10 years, suffering a stroke within the 1st year of his passing. When she began coming out of it she thought Jimmy Carter was POTUS and my current wife was my first wife. And she had the personality of a great white shark. Alzheimer's slowly took her further away over the ensuing years, and she eventually fell into a coma and expired of congestive heart failure. (Complications of a life with diabetes)

[Anne]

My dad died at age 52 of lung cancer. He was a lifelong smoker. My mother had a massive heart attack six months after he died. She was 49. She had bypass surgery the next year and lived another 19 years. She was never able to go back to work but was always active and busy. She loved being around her grandchildren.

[The Troll]

My late father started his career with Western Electric at a young age. He worked his way up through the ranks to Section Chief and then as the company began downsizing he was asked to occasionally act as a trouble shooter for the company. He was sent to locations all over the country for awhile, but once he went to New Orleans they began sending him, and only him to that location. They and a problem dad got on a plane and fixed it for them. We almost moved there when they eventually closed the Chicago plant when dad was 53. . . In fact he went down there for 3 months, flying home weekends; it was that close. . .

But dad decided the buyout was good enough for him after 30 years of service. They told him he was too young to retire, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Then he bought a small farm back in Kentucky, where he was born, and he and mom sold the house and off they went. 11 years later, on October 8, 2000 at 9:00 am, he got up to go into the kitchen. Likely for a can of beer. He never made it through the doorway and was dead before he hit the floor. Massive heart attack.

Mom had been taking a nap and the sound of him hitting the floor awakened her. She found him on the floor, eyes half open and his cigarette still smoking and clinched in his right hand.

Unexpected and devastating in ways that still echo within my life to this day.

Mom lingered for another 10 years, suffering a stroke within the 1st year of his passing. When she began coming out of it she thought Jimmy Carter was POTUS and my current wife was my first wife. And she had the personality of a great white shark. Alzheimer's slowly took her further away over the ensuing years, and she eventually fell into a coma and expired of congestive heart failure. (Complications of a life with diabetes)

  A great white shark?   I have no idea of how you mother believed, but if she was like my mother.  She didn't not believe in SPARE THE ROD,STICK, SWITCH, CLOTHES HANGER, EXTENTION CORD OR ANY THING ELSE SHE HAD IN HER HAND.       

[Purplelady1040]

My mother died at 61 of ovarian cancer, even though she had a total.hysterectomy when she was in her early 40's but we were not aware that the doctor did not take out everything. She felt something was wrong in her late 50's and was in remission for about a year before cancer came back. There are several things I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease. My mother was a great lady and didn't deserve this. She would discipline as we needed it and believe me, switch, spatula, hair brush, whatever was handy.
My stepmom is a super lady and has been a saving grace to all.of us in taking care of my father. All us siblings love her.

[libby]

Yesterday's Washington Post had an article about an 80-year-old 6 foot 2 personal trainer "with the lean physique and toned muscles of a basketball pro..." He's a retired Army Colonel who has worked for 17 years as a personal fitness trainer at a fitness center not too far from where I live. The paper version shows pictures of him which bear out the description above; they say he's the oldest trainer there by about 3 decades.

I think I just might drive there and check him out.  That fitness center is not all that far from where I live -- about a 20 minute drive across a county line heading south. I used to live there and worked out at the fitness center where he works.

[Palehorse]

  A great white shark?   I have no idea of how you mother believed, but if she was like my mother.  She didn't not believe in SPARE THE ROD,STICK, SWITCH, CLOTHES HANGER, EXTENTION CORD OR ANY THING ELSE SHE HAD IN HER HAND.       

Sorry it took me so long to see this Troll. Our mothers were cut from the same cloth my friend. And my hide has born the tiger striping to prove it in my formative years. . .  But guess what? I didn't do the crap that got me the beatings I so richly deserved again. (At least not if there was the slightest possibility mom would find out about it anyway).

Nope, my mother could never have been said to have spared the rod, switch, clothes hanger, extension cord, razor strop, shoe, or any other object within arms length when one of us were stepping out of line. . . And she was a master ninja with a shoe. She could make those damned things curve around the corners of walls and hit you square in the chops. I saw it many times. And felt it a few of them. 

[Palehorse]

Yesterday's Washington Post had an article about an 80-year-old 6 foot 2 personal trainer "with the lean physique and toned muscles of a basketball pro..." He's a retired Army Colonel who has worked for 17 years as a personal fitness trainer at a fitness center not too far from where I live. The paper version shows pictures of him which bear out the description above; they say he's the oldest trainer there by about 3 decades.

I think I just might drive there and check him out.  That fitness center is not all that far from where I live -- about a 20 minute drive across a county line heading south. I used to live there and worked out at the fitness center where he works.

Great idea! Hope it works out for you.

I've found that even an initial consultation with individuals that are great at what they do, frequently serves as the spark to light the fire to improve ones self. I hope you find the inspiration you are seeking in your interactions with him! 

[libby]

Great idea! Hope it works out for you.

I've found that even an initial consultation with individuals that are great at what they do, frequently serves as the spark to light the fire to improve ones self. I hope you find the inspiration you are seeking in your interactions with him! 

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Right now I need some inspiration because I have been dealing with the consequences of a big mistake I made some time ago: I let a young extended family member (male) live with me for what was called at the time temporary.  (No good deed goes unpunished....)

[Locutus]

Is the young male relative still there? 

[The Troll]

Sorry it took me so long to see this Troll. Our mothers were cut from the same cloth my friend. And my hide has born the tiger striping to prove it in my formative years. . .  But guess what? I didn't do the crap that got me the beatings I so richly deserved again. (At least not if there was the slightest possibility mom would find out about it anyway).

Nope, my mother could never have been said to have spared the rod, switch, clothes hanger, extension cord, razor strop, shoe, or any other object within arms length when one of us were stepping out of line. . . And she was a master ninja with a shoe. She could make those damned things curve around the corners of walls and hit you square in the chops. I saw it many times. And felt it a few of them. 

  I have talked to many people of our age.  We were raised by depression babies.  The didn't have much of any thing and they were brought up by parents who believed in corporal punishment.  My mother who had two sister, talked about how my grandfather would slap the girls in the face and use the biggest stick to hit them with and she hated him for.  What was one of her favorite thing to do.  Why it was slap you across the face as hard as she could and she had made my ears ring more than once.  Two thing I never did to my son was to slap him in the face or use my fist.  About three  times he got a soft white pine yard stick across the butt.  Mom uses a hard wood yard stick and she used the edge.  I asked her one day why she use the edge, she said she used it that way so she would break it.    Mainly I just got loud and chewed ass and I think that hurt my boy more than if I  had  beat him.