Month: August 2021

Eighty-three years and one month ago, I was born in Cañon City, Colorado.  My mother had all of her children at home, so I was born in the apartment in which we lived.  My father worked for the WPA (Works Progress Administration, a Franklin Roosevelt New Deal program).  That program put food on our table and a roof over our head.  We (not me, of course) lived in that apartment over the Christmas time of the previous year, and my three older sisters all came down with the measles at the same time.  To keep them occupied, my mother gathered up the Sears Christmas catalogs that had been left at the doors of apartments that were not occupied.  Ethel, Jackie, and Marie each had her own catalog to cut out paper dolls of the models dressed in the clothing that was for sale.  And, they had paste (probably made with flour and water); and they played paper dolls.

Ugly houses have begun to creep into our neighborhoods.  Monstrosities that look as though they are from some outer space collection of housing; or the movie, Farenheit 451.  White.  No color other than white.  They resemble structures made from the kids toys, Legos.  In fact, Lego houses would be more appealing than these ugly monsters.  As my mother used to say, their (architects’) taste must only be in their mouth.  I’m proud of Leo (who lives close by) who did not raze a small personalized house to built a behemoth; rather, he added to it in such a way that it continued to fit the neighborhood and, still, give his family more room.

April 15 came and went, and there was no 2020 tax return in the U.S. mail from me.  My accountant was kind enough to file an extension – something that I thought I would never have to do, again.  File an extension.  Time was, when I had a couple of small (very small) businesses, my accountant filed an extension almost every year.  I would start each year with the best of intensions.  This year, I would have all of my tax information to my accountant on time, I would pledge.  But, life happens, and the tax information stayed on the work table without being put in order.  And, so, the accountant would file an extension so I would not be in trouble.  Or, sometimes, I would get the information to him before the April 15, but it was provided so close to April 15 that I know he filed an extension, even then.

A telephone call from Keith (neighbor) reached me in Wisconsin when I was visiting my daughter and her family.  You may remember that I was there with Daughter #1 for the high school graduation of my eldest granddaughter and to help Daughter #3 during her knee replacement surgery.  I loved being able to cook for a small crowd and help where ever I could.  However, Keith said he had just observed a rat leaving my yard, crossing the street, to where his wife Rita’s truck was sitting.