Goodbye to Owen

Friday I had an early beauty shop appointment. Because Rebecca had parked in the drive, Ted drove me in the truck and went shooting. He picked me up afterwards and we went to the Honey B store to pick up the ham and rolls we ordered and took them to Alicia's for all her company coming in. She was going in several directions and was easily distracted but our friends Jeff and Rachel's daughter Tammy was running the show. Alicia said she didn't know what she would do without Tammy and another young neighbor Cammie taking charge. Jeff was doing the slideshow and Rachel was coordinating the food. It's great to have friends like this at such a time.

In the evening, Gerre and Barry picked us up and we joined Jennifer and Gene for some BBQ before heading to the theater. There we saw another friend Teri who also attends these performances. It's a lovely theater without a bad seat in the house and we enjoyed the play very much. The jokes have changed over the years with Facebook and HD TVs mentioned that weren't in existence in the 90s when we last saw the play. We came straight home because Gerre and Barry had a 9 am flight to Jamaica.

Saturday was a long day. I had a dentist appointment and my partial was ready. It fits well but is a bit high and it "hits" before the other side does. I have appointments Monday and Wednesday for final "fittings." At 2:00 we attended the memorial service for Owen. He was a retired Navy captain and had a very distinguished career. There were many in attendance and we knew lots of them. This getting older sure is sobering when your mortality is brought forefront. The old saying "no one gets out of here alive" comes to mind.

From that church we went to ours to attend Mass before we went to bunco. We were subbing for Ted's brother and his wife in a group associated with our church. We saw Rachel and Tammy at the funeral, her family at Mass, and we were all at bunco together. We met Rachel's sister Louise who lives in The Villages and she was such a delight. She had flown to Texas to take her father back home with her for a month. The three siblings take turns having their 91 year old father stay with them. This bunco group is a younger group for the most part and I am always so impressed with how closely these parents monitor their kids friends, reading material, extra activities, etc. How very difficult it must be to raise children in today's permissive world.

I was very tired by the time we got home and after a little TV went off to bed and got a good night's sleep. Pat and Kelly are in town and we'll pick them up from their hotel on Monday afternoon. They are visiting with us until Wednesday.

Keeping busy is a good part of retirement but having a day like today with nowhere particular to go and nothing particular to do is a real blessing.

Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't. ~ Richard Bach