How are you at getting things opened?  A bottle of water, the new prescription of pills (with the "child proof cap), the carton of milk or anything else with a cap.....  How do you get the top off of something?  We have some "grippers" that help - but two of us have issues with our thumbs so the third person, here in the house, is the one we "go to" to get something open.  I will also admit to seeing if the neighbor is home.

How about when you are traveling?  I usually ask the clerk, in the convenience store, to open the apple juice bottle.  I can also say most strangers are very willing to help open something (or reach something from the tops shelf at the store) if you ask. 

I will also tell you it is a good idea to be able to laugh about it!  So......how do you get something open?  Something to think about..........

How are you doing with laughter?  Do you get at least a chuckle?  Maybe with some of the stories I share?  Maybe as you are watching something (even the news) on TV?  Or maybe you get a chance to people watch - which can cause different reactions including laughter.  Or.... how about laughing at, or with, yourself?  Sometimes we can be our own best start for laughter.

Last week we were able to take a scenic train trip through the beautiful fall colors along the north shore of Lake Superior.  It was awesome!!  There were also several sets of steps with various heights for the actual steps.  The biggest challenge was in the "dome car" where we were seated.  There was a high step up to a shorter step to be able to sit down at the table.  It was tricky but we all were able to sit down.  Then we were getting settled in, taking off coats and I needed to "step down" for a minute.  It was even trickier than actually sitting down. 

You guessed it.....  I landed in the laps of the table across the aisle from us.  Thankfully we were all able to laugh about it!  Sometimes laughter IS the best medicine!!  So.... how are you doing with laughter?  Something to think about.........

When I say steps what do you think of?  Your pedometer and how many steps you are taking?  The recipe you are getting ready to try and the "steps" needed to do it?  Maybe it is the project you are getting ready to start...step 1, step 2....  Or are you trying to get your calendar back under SOME control and you need to finish ______ and _____ to be ready.

Meanwhile we are into a "new season" (where I live called fall) and almost to another "new" month (next week) and trying to keep schedules, and changes, straight.  One of the "new" changes is to make sure to exercise but - again - it is working through the steps.  And the additional step of trying to make sure there are more steps on the pedometer.......

All of these can get frustrating as we are learning, making the changes and working through being stiff from "new" exercise.  So...... which do you think of?  Do you talk about it?  Share with anyone?  Something to think about.....and MAYBE laugh about.

What day is it?  What is the schedule for today?  And.....  with "above average" temps what season of the year is it?  The idea of retirement is slowly sinking in but the confusion about what day of the week it is seems to be happening more often.  The interesting thing is conversations, with friends, trying to figure out which day it is seems to be consistent with all of us.

The problem is the changing schedules as new things come "onto" the calendar.  At the start of retirement it worked pretty well because one person, here in the house, was still going to work Monday through Friday (and choir on Wednesday).  So if they weren't home it was a weekday.  Then we are all retired, it was summer (so no choir on Wednesday) and new schedules.....  All mixed together has some going "what day is it?"

Something interesting to be talking about and sharing.....  It is also something to laugh at or we will start screaming!

Those of you who know me, or have read some of these memories, know I love history.  It can be Biblical history, US history, Victorian history, sewing history - I don't care I love reading and learning about history.  I also like personal history.  I am known to ask, especially when specific anniversaries have been happening, "where were you when ______?"  The question can lead to more information but also interesting discussions.

It also brings fun memories.....   Like when my niece and her husband were talking about when "the president was shot."  Her husband was thinking Kennedy...she was thinking Reagan.  The 24th anniversary of the Towers brought interesting conversations at a meeting this week.  Most of us, at the meeting, could remember exactly where we were.  Some of them, at the meeting, were at least young kids (if not toddlers) and didn't remember.  Either way it is a good opening to talk about things happening.

My question, at the meeting AND now, is how did you feel God's presence with you then?  How do you feel God's presence with you now?  Can you talk about it?  Can you share and encourage?  Something to think about.......

We were at "our" State Fair recently - which can cause interesting problems about crowds, distance to walk and (especially!) parking.  Parking is a whole "other" story for a different time.  Right now I'm thinking about crowds and how easy it is to "lose" someone.  It also caused some interesting discussions.

We started with the time my sister "lost" our mother - at the State Fair.  It was long before cell phones which causes even more headaches.  She "found" her outside the building both of them were wanting to be in - The Creative Arts building.  I "lost" Dad in the Science Museum in Chicago.  He had promised he would wait "right here" for me.  I finally found him heading to the gift store where "he knew I would go."   My sister, yesterday, "lost" her friend at the State Fair.  Now we have cell phones but my sister's phone was with her friend!  It took almost an hour to find each other again.

It is easy to "lose" someone - especially in a crowd.  Now we have cell phones that are usually with us and sometimes work!  Sometimes this helps.  Sometimes we still want to scream.  I have threatened to stand in the middle and yell - just like a little kid.  Thankfully.... with the memories.... we can laugh!

Do you get to take "family outings?"  They don't have to be "long" ones...maybe just to a local park or lake (I do live in MN!) for a few hours.  Maybe to a museum or some other "site" to visit.  We are blessed to have a wonderful Zoo close to us - less than an hour drive.  We can even work on the schedule enough to be there as they open!

A recent trip, this last Friday, reminded me of the visit several years (over 10) before.  The memories of grandsons (still shorter than me) interacting with what they were seeing, and their great-grandfather, all came back.  The fun Dad had, with the kids and riding the scooter, are wonderful memories to have.

This trip we didn't use a scooter (although I probably should have) but we did sit down frequently.  We also  "only" did the 'inside' part of the Zoo because of the heat and humidity.  Still it brought back memories we could laugh about....

Special holidays, even birthdays, seem like a good time for family to get together to celebrate.  The difficulty can be if family lives in different states making actually being together, in person, a little difficult.  Add in careers that mean working on various holidays, for one or several participants, makes actually being together even more difficult.

Celebrating one year of retirement, working on a sermon for using the gifts God has given, and celebrating a birthday/anniversary all brought back the memory of the first year I served in ministry.  We were celebrating Easter - my first one in ministry and my grandson's first Easter.  My son, daughter-in-law and my "new" grandson all decided to come celebrate with me.  The difficulty came because they live in Ohio and I live in Minnesota.  They got "here" on Good Friday, after the worship service, and left Monday morning.  I had SOME time with them on Sat, and time on Sunday after two services.  I looked at my son, Sunday afternoon, and said "DO NOT come see me on a religious holiday again."  At first he was upset but then he looked at me and went...."well duh!"

We celebrate Christmas, birthdays and Easter when we are able to be together!  Now, since I'm retired, we can be together - at least sometimes.  When are ya'll together?  What are your memories?  Sometimes it is good to laugh!

What do you think of for "tradition"?  The first thing I think of is Fiddler on the Roof  and the song "Tradition!"  The importance of "tradition" in the song and in some of the things we do....  Do you have a particular tradition you follow?  We actually have some interesting traditions we have kept going.

The first tradition we have actually worked on is the needlework.  I was asked, just this weekend, about what I was knitting.  I was working on baby booties (the skein and needles fit in my purse so can go anywhere) that the pattern has been handed down in the family - from my great grandmother.  We also talked about the embroidery handed down.......

Another "tradition" is keeping things.  I don't THINK I would be called a "hoarder" but I have a feeling many family members, probably for generations, have also "saved" things for future use.  I admit I have gotten rid of a lot but I also know I looked at fabric scraps, just today, for if the scrap was "big enough to use" (in the future) or could be thrown away.

So...... what tradition do you think of?  Do you share it with other family members?  Can we celebrate it - like patterns handed down?  Can we laugh about it - as we decide if a scrap is big enough to use?  Definitely something to think about..... Maybe even laugh about......

"Three steps forward and two back......."  Isn't that the saying?  Or at least what it feels like - especially as we are learning something new?  What about when we are starting something new?  Like trying to exercise to regain strength.  I can tell you, from personal experience, what it feels like!  I can also tell you we are making progress s-l-o-w-l-y.

I was reminded, recently, about people warning me of "steps" when walking.  There are times when I really need someone to point out a "step."  But this reminder was from our trip  to Great Britain two years ago.  We started with "just" my sisters saying "step."  By the time we got to England my sisters and our two friends were all saying "step."  By the second day of the tour everyone on the bus, all 28 of them(!), were saying "step" every time there was any kind of change in the sidewalk or walking area.

​So...... even memories can help us laugh instead of start screaming!