Memories

This morning, as I was getting ready for work, a song kept repeating in my head and it was one that I haven't heard for a long time.  It begins with "Memories pressed between the pages of my mind"..."memories sweetened through the ages just like wine".  I remembered it as being the Paul Anka song that was used for a Kodak commericial but when I googled it, I found that it was performed by Elvis Presley. 

I know why this song was playing in my mind; today is the funeral of a lady who was part of both my childhood and my adult life.  Martha “Sis” Sauer certainly shares a big part of my memories.  For a short time, while I was growing up, my family lived 3 houses away from her family.  She and her husband Charlie had 3 children: Bonnie, who is 2 years older than me; Cheryl, 1 year older and Charles, Jr. (Chuck), who was a year younger than my brother.  The Sauer’s had a taxi service in Flemingsburg and for many years they provided transportation for people all over Fleming County.  As a 10 year old, I was not only impressed with their occupation but also with the fact that they actually had a Coke truck that regularly stopped and left Cokes at their house!  There was no one else that I knew who had that golden opportunity to always have “pop” at their disposal.

We weren’t neighbors very long but since we children were so close in age, our lives touched for many years.  As an adult, I was a running mate of Charlie’s when he entered a political race to serve as Fleming County Circuit Clerk.  We did not win but I have always enjoyed politics and I certainly met a lot of different people and learned a lot about the uncertain world of political campaigns. 

Having always lived in a small town, I was lucky to have known many wonderful people over the years.  I am glad to have had the opportunity to know and enjoy the company of Martha and her family and I know that she will be missed by many.  Yes, there are “many memories pressed between the pages of my mind” and as I get both older and smarter, I treasure them more and more.

The more things change Part 2

I just finished teaching a Beginner Computer Class here in our tech lab.  Who would have imagined me teaching others about computer skills?  I learned to type using a manual typewriter (does anybody remember them?) and thought I might flunk typing class that first  6-week grading period.  I had no strength in my pinkie finger but I was determined so I borrowed a portable typewriter from an older cousin and I practiced, practiced, and then practiced somemore.  I forget what my speed finally turned out to be but I did pass that class with a good grade.  When I started working in an office after graduation, I was given an electric typewriter and I thought it would fly away.  And now, after 18 years of using a computer for my cataloging duties here in the library,  I have been able to share some of the knowledge I've learned with others. I love seeing them find some of the enjoyment I feel when I learn something new.

Today there were 9 participants and I think they left learning at least one thing so mayber they are a little like me today: Older & Smarter!

The more things change......

I was probably ten years old when I received my first diary and for many years, I was given a new diary each year for Christmas.  I remember hiding the key to the diary and telling my brother, who is 13 months younger than me, to "keep out".  I wasn't wise enough to know that those words were like a red flag and he was determined to see what I was writing!

When I was a teenager I chose to keep my memories in a scrapbook.  Movie tickets, newspaper articles if I happened to "make the paper", pictures of the current special guy, and even chewing gum wrappers given to me by those special guys were faithfully stored in my scrapbook with a caption to remind me why they were there.

Then came marriage and 2 years later, our daughter and suddenly there was no time for diaries or scrapbooks.  My energy went into picture albums with Melissa's pictures and even those aren't complete...I have the pictures but they aren't in the album.

When my husband and I farmed and part of the operation involved a dairy, my way of keeping track of the weather conditions and the things we were doing was the calendar on the wall in the milking parlor.  I have some of them in my cedar chest because they really are a chronicle of our lives at that time.  I was very faithful in keeping those calendars until....

After 22 years as a stay-at-home wife and mother, I took a part-time job at the Fleming County Public Library.  We were still farming and there was no time to even keep the calendar updated!  So there is a big chunk of time and memories that are not very clear.  A few years ago, our minister encouraged us to keep a praise journal.  Each day we were supposed to record something we were thankful for, no matter how small.  Believe me, I have more blessings than I could ever count, let alone record, but soon, this blessing journal was forgotten also.

Now, I am trying something new.  My co-worker created a blog as part of her computer class and when she shared it with me, I realized that perhaps this would be my way to keep my thoughts and activities.  So, today I begin a new venture.  I'm not sure if anyone else will ever see it, but I will and that's all that counts.  After all, I am Older & Smarter.