Retired?

Thoughts on being out of work. Friend says "say you are retired, sounds better than "unemployed."

So I am at work on becoming unretired. I have enrolled at the two major employment organizations in Bryan/College Station. Many Navasota employers use them I am told. I have checked on an on-line employment service as well. I have an application in at the City of Navasota.

October fifteenth will be the day I start to worry in earnest. So far its just fleeting moments of wondering. The rest of the time its pretty cool not to have to go to work. Visiting with family and friends, sorting through old clothes to give away, old books to sell, those are meaningful. Baking cookies and cakes, those are fattening but I give them away as well.

Tonight is Vestry meeting, Wednesday noon is Millican Ladies Club (haven't gotten to many of those this year), Thursday night is Millican heritage meeting. Sunday I will go to Tyler to sit on some grands while their Mom does in service at her new school.

And then I will have to get very serious in the search department ... these bills won't pay themselves. I do think networking with family, friends and churchmates is more likely to result in finding something but we shall see.

I am reminded of the opening gambit of the talk on Stoics ... "some things are in our power, some are not in our power. Don't get them confused or you will be miserable." My goal is to not be miserable.

Meantime if you hear of any job openings in the greater Navasota area don't hesitate to tell me.

Mi Familia

When I figure out how to add the photo of the ENTIRE family I will do so.
In the meantime I would like to thank every single member for making the weekend so special and so darn much fun.

As I so often say, when your "grands' range from three to twenty seven it makes for wildly divergent get-togethers. And when they are in three states, jobs and colleges, and special relationships, finding them all on one beach is a huge event. They made it my birthday surprise with a professional photographer. (These are not her pictures, these are ours)

The food was extraordinary too. Hollis headed cooking teams which produced a bounty of chunkleburgers and all the fixins' for Saturday evening at the gazebos beside the beach. Surf was pounding and pretty, and the sky lovely. On Sunday we did photo shoot at 10 and followed with a shrimp boil lunch. Steve and Rachel found the biggest best looking shrimp and they were boiled up with corn and taters ... simply fabulous. (Except for Currie, whose eyes and throat reacted in the vicinity).




By afternoon the storm about which we knew nothing was making for serious waves and currents and many of us battled them until we could barely walk (that would be me, and I can still feel the results.) The "kids" had so much beach fun. There was a most bizarre beach football game on Saturday ... Kagan (age 9) and Hollis (age 50+) were some of the most outstanding players but every one had a blast.

Laura W made favors for all the "girls" ...monogrammed mini duffle bags with goodies inside. There was a chocolate cake with buttercream icing and individual cupcakes for the "fall" birthdays in the bunch, some "Papa" birthday cards for the remaining grandkids with his kind of card humor and a generous check as well.

"Aunt Bonny" was kind enough to find sleeping quarters for most of the "big kids" which was a tremendous help. Everyone worked very hard to make it a fun event. Laura Anne, Matt, Kate and Alexis had the farthest drive. The Wooldridge contingent came in the most vehicles and brought two lovely young ladies with them; Chelsey Corbin, who has been Kate's btf (best Texas friend) for many years, and is considered a "sister" by the W boys, and Morgan's lovely Desiree, who is finding out what our family is really like. Tom's lovely Alissa joined us too. Currie drove from Houma, LA, to Tyler to Galveston because of his work schedule. Bosley's zoomed in on Friday night and I got there first for some lovely sunset. Steve and Rachel made the photo arrangements and the shrimp arrangements. Laura Anne's good friend Julie was able to spend some quality time, too.



Do you see what I mean? Lots of work and lots of fun. Kathy decided after the photo shoot at Papa's funeral that we need some time all together that didn't include eulogies and visitations. I am so grateful that all found it worth their time, money, travel and trouble. It was a most remarkable weekend.