On The Phone

Most of my day today was spent on the telephone. A real rarity for me; as I don't like to spend too much time talking on the phone. I got a message from a good friend from Kentucky, while we were out yesterday, though. Her husband had passed away due to bone cancer all of a sudden. He was just 61 years old.

I called her this morning and we talked for quite some time. She was holding up pretty good and her daughter was able to come and stay with her through all the funeral arrangements. She will be moving back to New York she said. Her oldest son lives there and she will be staying with him until she settles into her own place.

I wished her the best of luck and sent her my hugs.

Today is my younger brother Jim's birthday. He turned 61 years old. I called him and we talked for quite some time also. My sister-in-law Linda answered the phone there. She told me "the old fart is in the bathroom right now". Ha, she's the same age as he is and she still calls him that!

Our sister Ellie and her husband Jim were there also for the birthday "boy". One of his daughters too. Brother Jim told me I sounded older on the phone this time. I reminded him that I am older now....64 years to be exact. I told him that some of my fondest memories were of him and I dancing on ice skates when we were young and twirling around on the ice! He said "Yes I used to ice skate well" and "I never ice skate anymore. I should try it again" Then he asked if we had skated the river back then. He lives right on the Flint River in Montrose Michigan. In the exact same home that we lived in when we were kids there. He bought the home after he married years ago.
I told him no that our Dad would never let us on the river unless there was a foot of ice frozen over solid. He said that the river freezes over but not smoothly anymore.

I told him how the Skagit river here never freezes over like that. I live by the Skagit in Concrete Washington. Of course it's not as cold here as it is back there all winter long.

Then he would pause between sentences and say" Shirley, I can't believe it's you" "I can't believe I'm talking to you right now". I have called him on his birthday many times through the years. Could it be that he is getting sentimental in his older age? Ha.

The last I saw him in person was when I made the trip to Michigan in 1992, however.

It was then that he wanted me to go with him to the tavern at the bottom of the hill there on Seymour Rd. where we grew up. He wanted to drink a beer and shoot some pool. It was called Fynn's Inn then. Our father's second home away from home!

I declined the offer because my older sister Lorraine would soon be coming to his house to pick me up and take me to her home for a visit. Which she did do within the hour there.

I shall forever regret that I did not go with my 'Lil Brother' that day to shoot pool and drink beer! What a meaningful time together I missed!


"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BROTHER JIM".






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