Ya Never Know!!!

You are never going to guess what I did tonight. My friend at work hit me up today and said lets start walking tonight at the fitness center here at the apartments. I'm like, but I will be getting home late. She said how late and I told her 6:30. She laughed and said, Glenda THAT isn't late, let's walk for 15-30 minutes so I said sure. We did but we decided this week we'd only walk like a mile a night, which took about 15 minutes. It usually takes me 15-20 minutes to walk a mile. We will do longer next week but are going to get in the swing of things. I'm getting a few together to help me because we all know we need someone to keep us motivated. If not you are doing better than me because I can talk myself out of everything except that extra piece of chocolate cake, or vanilla ice cream cone or that bag of potato chips. I suck. I've said it about myself before and will say it again. I suck. Now I am going to have to go to the store next week and get food that will compliment my new exercise regime. I did eat a grilled salmon salad from a little restaurant down here in Springfield that is so good, St. Michaels. Their lunch isn't that expensive. There are alot of quaint little restaurants and bistro's in downtown Springfield.

Just got off the phone with my cousin Carol. She always gets a kick out of me saying that and she is an avid follower of these blogs of mine. We aren't as good as we would like to be keeping in touch. Our mom's were sisters and she grew up out in Nickerson Kansas. I use to love going out there in the summer and visiting and she tells me she equally enjoyed coming out to the farm in Lowry City to see me. It was two completely different worlds but yet the same. She is 6 years older than I but we were always very, very close because of our mom's. My mom and her sister's had a special bond that is so hard to explain, and they were such interesting ladies.

These ladies were born in the early 1910's and grew up in rural St. Clair County in a small community called Chalk Level. They went to school until their 8th grade year and then they all went to Kansas City and worked, because that is what you did during that time. One of their older brothers went on into Osceola, lived with a Dr. and finished his high school degree and became a pharmacist in Enid Okalhoma. Pretty cool. These ladies grew up with great dignity and everyone that ever knew them loved each and everyone of them with all their heart. Whenever I speak with people that knew them when they were little girls and even when they grew up, these people would have so much kindness and love when they would speak of them. Aunt Nina and Aunt Josephine ended up in Los Angeles in the 1930's. Aunt Nina worked at MGM studios with Van Johnson, Judy Garland and the such. I remember her telling me how much she enjoyed Van Johnson, he'd bring his sack lunch and eat it with "the girls". She'd look at me and tell me, "Judy Garland was everything that they ever said about her!!" Aunt Josephine worked at Cecil DeMille's estate. They were such neat, neat ladies.

I had a special place in my heart for Carol's mom. Her name was Theodocia but we called her Aunt Ted. Her and Uncle Harold owned a farming impliment store in Nickerson when I was growing up and I always thought it was so cool. The year Carol got married I was 13. She married a high school sweetheart and he was in the Navy and in Vietnam. She was an only child and was the world to Uncle Harold and Aunt Ted. I was out there that summer and stayed after she got married and Uncle Harold took me everywhere he went. We traveled all over the farming communities in that section of the state and I remember it like it was yesterday. He missed Carol and hated seeing her move on to the next chapter of her life but all was fine. It was just a transistion, he was helping me with the transistion of my dad passing away that summer and I helped him with the transistion of Carol getting married. Kinda cool when I think of it now.

Well, there is quite a story about these gals and one of these days I may tell it, but this is just a synopsis. LOL. Carol lives in Granite Falls Washington. A beautiful place in Washington State just North of Seattle. I usually tell people that she lives in Seattle when I speak of her because it's easier then explaining where Granite Falls is. LOL. We plan to go up there and see them next summer and I am looking so forward to it. I love my family and especially my cousin Carol. LOL.

It's been a heck of a day at work and this next few weeks are going to be interesting to say the least. I would love to be able to retire but can't yet. September 30, 2016 but who's counting!!! Hopefully I can retire at that time in my life. That is when I can retire from the State. I have seen alot of different things going on within the State through my tenure and am sure I will see alot more before it's all over with. I started in 1996 and you can retire with 80 and out so I can leave when I'm 59. Rock on, wish I'd started before but glad I started when I did.

Well, I am heading out of here. I have had a good day and even better evening between my new exercise regime and talking to my cousin. I will post more tomorrow night and hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful evening and day tomorrow.