Sunday, October 24, 2010

Interesting Times

There's an old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." This has definitely been an interesting year. I haven't been hired for any of the jobs where I submitted applications. A good friend of mine went through an illness and six months in the hospital then passed away. I took care of is house, cats and yard during that time. I made all the arrangements for his memorial service which we had yesterday. Family and friends met, talked and received some of his estate. In two weeks we will have an estate sale and I will empty most of the house by the end of November. His ex-wife will then decide what to do with the house.

A week ago I was just called to be the Branch President of the Quaker Heights Spanish speaking branch of our Church. We don't know how many people will attend or who they are. I have two counselors now and in two weeks we will have our first set of meetings. At that point we will start calling people to staff positions in the branch. My office is getting set up with furniture, phone, etc. My wife will also attend and has been studying Spanish.

We will spend Christmas at home with our children, their spouses and children instead of travelling to Kentucky. My wife, who started a new job recently, can not take vacatin time till next year. Her grandmother will turn 104 in December. My parents will be 85 years old by my father's next birthday.

A year from now my youngest son will go on a mission for our Church, my youngest daughter will be married and my wife and I will move into the group of empty nesters.

When I retired, I didn't plan on staying retired, but simply to change careers. That is still my plan. I just didn't know that retiring will make you so tired.

Life goes on and is alway interesting,

Twist