75 in a 15 Zone

You are turning 75, Sweetheart, I said.

I feel good about turning 75 was his reply.

Jake is changing, he said (as if he isn't). Both men require supervision from Sally and me.

You are a great friend to Jake. I am glad you can go to the senior center with him. Hubby nodded in agreement.


Church B. D. Celebration

Thursday night we went to dinner with Sally and Jake. Then we went to Costco where I got food for hubby's b.d. celebration.  At Costco hubby sat in the dining area (if you can call it that where you eat pizza) and Jake went with Sally.

Sunday we had hubby's 75th celebration at church. It was designed to be as simple as possible. Sally brought deviled eggs, a labor-intensive dish. I cut up cheese from Costco and cut up the broccoli. I spent time on two fruit salads. It was going to be one salad, but I sort of went overboard.

The cake was purchased and when it came time for hubby to blow out the candles, someone remarked that my husband has a history with fire. He actually had second degree burns from heat when he burned trash in our back yard some years ago. So at the mention of his fire mishap, birthday boy shows off his hairless legs at the party--hairless because of that fire. 

See! No hair on my legs!

At one point I heard a five year old  at our church ask my husband what he does.

I mow the yard and watch TV was his answer.

I thought to myself that hubby is like a young person who now has to be reminded to mow the lawn, but doesn't want to give up that responsibility to others. Hubby is very much like a  teenager on some levels, but very responsible on other levels. Jake is very much like a kid wanting praise for what he does. Both men are real old-fashioned gentlemen. Both hold the door open for us and carry heavy things. Not all 15 year olds are so thoughtful. I know because I substitute for 15 year olds. It is great that our husbands don't cook--but "delegate" that task to their wives. Could be another fire if my husband cooked!  He still can use the microwave I believe, but that skill hasn't been tested recently.

Hubby has a great sense of humor. He loved the new lyrics I wrote for Toastmasters Monday night to the tune of "Winter Wonderland".  He understands about the economics of  "snow bird" retirees who winter here in Florida, and he put up with my practicing these lyrics several times and encouraged me with his laughter. Actually I had everyone at Toastmasters sing these lyrics with karaoke iPod accompaniment because my voice is not that great.

SOUTHERN WONDERLAND

At the beach sand is a glistenin’
Sea gulls honk, are you listenin’?
A beautiful sight
We’re happy tonight
Cruising in our Southern wonderland.

Here to stay are some new birds
You come South for the winter
We call you “snow birds”
And you come in herds
Escaping your Northern cold land.

When you come we have a great economy
And we also put up our Christmas tree
We say “Are you local?”
You say, “No man!”
But money does the job
When you’re in town.

Welcome here all you retirees
Spend your cash will you please!
And face unafraid
The plans that you’ve made
Cruising in our Southern wonderland.

Hubby even "gets"  some of my raps that I write for good classes when I sub. How many wives have that support from husbands too busy to notice, I wonder. How many caregivers try to have a life with their loved one and include them in what is happening? It is a form of shadowing, but hubby does many things with me--every thing but accompany me when I teach.

Senior Center Day. Today, Tuesday,  Sally brought Jake by. I loaded both husbands and our dog in the car. I played country music for the three of them from my iPod in the car. First we stopped at the vet for Ziggy's shots.

Hubby, Dog and Jake

Then I drove them both to the senior center. No trouble getting them to go through the door. I took Ziggy home and started on this post, trying to keep up with posting several times a week.

Junk Bunkers

Tomorrow is DH's official b.d. and so I had to get new tags for our car--the gas guzzler we use after my car had been totalled two years ago. Hubby still considers this car his car, although I am his driver now. Because I was substituting in the afternoon at a Plant City middle school, I tried to get the tags late morning. The line was an hour wait and I decided if I could get there before five, that's when I would purchase the tag.

So with a little time to kill,  I went into Staples. I took a picture of those "junk bunkers", those containers I am trying to get rid of, although will use some for clothes storage. After reading The House That Cleans Itself, I think so differently about them now. I used to buy these for all kinds of stuff I didn't deal with. 

Then I went on to substitute for the afternoon until almost 4:30. Meanwhile at about 3 pm Sally picked up the husbands and brought mine home. After school I was able to get the car tag. At home I had my husband put the new tag on. Suddenly the new registration was missing. It turned up in the trash can in the garage. He had forgotten this procedure of putting the registration in the glove compartment, a procedure he had done all his driving life.

What did you do at the senior center today? I asked him tonight.

Don't know.

You and Jake have a good time?

I guess so.

Doesn't this sound like trying to pump a 15-year-old for how his day went!