An Upside to Growing Older

Finally, I think I have found an upside. The older you get the more your eccentricities are acceptable!

Hooray for eccentric. It is early in this Easter weekend that may see members from each of my childrens' families present in this little loft in Navasota. We are praying for a sunny day so that the largest mass will be outdoors at our favorite park, Washington On The Brazos. We are celebrating not only the greatest Christian holiday, Easter, but also the coming third birthday of our funniest grandchild, Kyndall.

When you are in your seventieth year and live in a little loft in a little town, life is pretty simple. Your decor has been downsized, your furniture has been downsized and you are free to go and do without reporting in to anybody.

If I want to switch my "kitchen colors" (it started with all white) from the reds of Winter to the greens and blues of Spring, I just have to change a couple of towels, a couple of candles and a tablecloth. This is easy.

A child of mine has suggested a better arrangement for the pictures on my living room wall. Most of them were purchased at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival over the last ten years and many of them feature Southern water birds. Not being artistic, I don't doubt for a minute that they could be more effectively grouped. But I don't have to. I'm old and eccentric.

It would be nice to have a nice strong man hang my full length mirror on my bedroom door. I couldn't make it work. But, it works just fine leaned at a jaunty angle that lets me see whether or not I've remembered all the parts of my "outfit" before I head out to work, church or a hot date! Yes, after almost thirty years without male accompaniment I now have an occasional hot date with a man of my dreams. Who knew that would ever happen? I can wax poetic about it because its expected of older eccentrics.

I am a little stressed about doing a good job of hosting this largest gathering of family members since the great birthday party in Brenham some years ago. I'd like all the food to turn out well, the little kids to find enough to do and the big kids to enjoy each other's company. Its a new role, being the "only" grandparent from this side of the family and I am anxious to do a good job. Most of all I am so pleased that when all of my family got together at Papa's funeral they found out they still really like each other and even though many are adults now and living far apart, they still reconnect based on some great childhood experiences.

I'm so glad they still like Gramma, too, even if she is becoming a bit more eccentric.