Sifoddling Along

By Marilyn Carnell

This month my muse abandoned me. My brain is usually teeming with ideas to write about. Perhaps it is because this is the July edition. This month is jammed full of emotional and sentimental things to remember. Suddenly, I realize that I am getting old and am no longer as flexible as I once was – both physically and mentally.

Some significant dates:

The Fourth of July – our nation’s birthday has always been an important holiday for me– a time to get together with family and friends, enjoy a feast, catch up on the news and make homemade ice cream.

This year, in a small way, we are going to do that again. Two of my sons and their wives, and two of my grandsons and I will be together for hamburgers and fixings and, yes, homemade ice cream - vanilla. and banana.

July 12 – my birthday and the birthday of my step-son, Dan Williams

July 14 – the anniversary of my marriage to Al Williams

July 15 – the date of Al’s death in 2019

July 18 – the date of Al’s birth in 1935

That is a lot of emotion to pack into a short time so perhaps I need to rest my mind and enjoy the upcoming gathering and consider how lucky I have been to have a long and generally good life. I was born in a small town in the Ozarks with few prospects for an adventurous life, yet I got a good education, was a pioneer in many aspects of my career, traveled a lot, had a wonderful son, and acquired two more later in life. I have made life-long and new friends that I still turn to in times of joy or stress.

I am one of the lucky ones who has had an extraordinary life and now must concentrate on making the future years the best I can. I continue to seek to leave the world a better place than I found it.