The "The Family's Still Kicking" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a few photos of my mom and dad that I had in a folder on my desktop titled "Family".  Easter was one of my parent's favorite holidays to spend with their family.  For the last couple of dozens years they came to our house to celebrate and have a sit-down meal around a table with the family.  One or two of the photos in the folder showed mom's two sisters, Virginia and Lois.  Virginia was a few years younger than my mom while Lois was only a year and a half older than me.  Kind of a surprise I imagine.  I had been meaning to contact my cousin Susan to ask how her mom, my Aunt Virginia, was doing.  So, after she sent me an email I sent a note back to her with my request about my aunt.  Susan, as she always does, gave me a great accounting of her mom.  Carol and I read it and couldn't stop laughing at Susan's humor as she described her mom.  I thought I would share with you a photo of the three sisters and Susan's comments as we are about to celebrate the joyous holiday of Easter.  Nothing is more important than family and friends on this very special day.  So, give Susan's letter a read as I have copied and pasted it in it's entirety.

Aunt Virginia, my Mom Dorothea and Aunt Lois on Virginia's porch.

Well, she’s still kicking. In pretty good health for the most part as far as I can tell. She has her routine each day. Walks out to get the newspaper at the end of her driveway each morning around 8 or so. She reads it off and on during the day she says....not all at onct. She cleans a little each day....this or that.....does a window now and then. She likes to go somewhere each day weather permitting so she goes to Turkey Hill in Strasburg one day for her lottery ticket. Next day she’ll go to the beer store in Strasburg for her Papst. One day she goes the whole way over to Willow Street to Darrenkamps and uses the coupons she has to use. Friday’s she does her regular grocery shopping at The Market Basket there along Rt.896 outside of Strasburg. One Wednesday a month she goes to Senior Citizens with her one friend. Some Wednesday nights she goes out with her 2 other friends who are kind enough to include her....they stick close to home....Fireside...Steamboat....Iron Horse.  She naps each afternoon.....always.......and she says she wakes up sometimes at 3...........or 4..........or 5! She watches the news and Wheel of Fortune but doesn’t like tv too much cause it works on her nerves cause everyone is so loud and annoying. She likes quiet. My sista has her over there for supper way more than I do but then I don’t cook anymore. She has a man that mows her yard and another guy plows for her but when needed I shoveled and do her shrubs and paint so she doesn’t have to put out money unnecessarily although I can’t do it all cause I have my own stuff to do.  We did talk to her about moving to Strasburg to a ranch home....it was two doors down from where she did live....would have been perfect for her, all one floor....but she wasn’t having any of that.  I worry about her walking up and down the steps to get to her car where she is cause we don’t check on her everyday........guess we should?  She likes her independence. We take it one day at a time and hope for the best.

Thanks for asking! No worries!

Ciao for now! CousinS

Well, my family is still kicking as Susan has told me in her letter.  Here's hoping they all have a great Easter and many more memories to share.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.