An Introduction

            You are reading a first post of a blog by an 82-year-old woman who has never completed a blog before.  In fact, until Karl, one of my computer gurus, mentioned it to me, I never had a thought about publishing a blog.  After asking some friends and relatives for their thoughts about me writing a blog and receiving several “you go girl” responses, I decided to take Karl up on his suggestion.  So, bear with me while I develop my “sea legs” for this activity.

            You should be told something about the person whose work you are reading.  For sixty years, I was married to and lived with one of the best man human beings that has ever walked the earth until his life was taken as a result of being a uranium worker to make money to pay for our college education.  You will hear about Larry a lot, I think.  You will also hear about my daughters (two, H&J), my son-in-law (one, B), granddaughters (two-R&L), as well as my neighbors and other friends that I have been blessed to have in my life.  I consider my life is enriched by all of them.

            What I hope to do with this blog is to write about things that the older person may find difficult to deal with, sometimes really frustrating and sometimes funny and sometimes, I hope, both.  After living for eighty-years, my head is filled with experiences that I’m hoping will catch my readers’ interest  so that you will come back and read the next post and the next and the next.  Well, you get the idea.  I do want my topics to be meaningful to you and, as Chuck Rosenberg says on his podcast, “If you have thoughtful feedback or questions, [please let me know with a comment below.]”

            So many of us live alone that there are special occurrences that we must work through without our partner.  I remember when, shortly after sepsis took the life of my husband, the outside faucet at the back of my house (ranch style with yard, sidewalk, driveway, and a garden that he had spent years making beautiful) would not shut off.  There was no one to whom I could say, “Won’t you please take care of the faucet?  Please get it to shut off.”  Nope!  The job was now mine alone. 

            I’ve always considered myself to a relatively independent person, but I’m certainly not a plumber.  That’s just not in my genes.  It meant finding a trustworthy plumber (recommended by a neighbor who is a contractor) and making an appointment with that plumber to repair and/or replace the faucet.  First, of course, I had to figure out some way to get the water shut off because the water sprinkler was going day and night..  Fortunately, I found that Larry had put a shut off at the end of the hose where the pulsating sprinkler was attached.  Problem solved for a short time, until the plumber could come and do his job.  With the first serious house problem solved, I did realize that it would not be the last.  And, of course, it wasn’t.

            I hope you will join me for my next post.  Thanks for being here.

The Cranky Crone