B O R E D O M

Boredom has set in, I am so sorry to now have to relate.
Where once was activity all is quiet, I must truly state.
Judging by the headings of my poems most subjects are covered,
truly my selection of further revelations has greatly suffered.

So, I sit and muse and try to revive what energy I once possessed,
I wish there was something to stir up some hornets nest.
The only activity I can boast of are my two daily walks,
or the visits to my neighbor for some meaningful talks.

Yes, there are books to read or the newspaper to cover-
but,I am sorry to state, I do not care about a movie star's lover.
The only salvation are crossword puzzles to strain the brain,
or two nightly poker games for some diversion to obtain.

Yet, I should not complain-to my actions there are no restrictions,
there are very few people now who will challenge my convictions.
Nobody cares about my politics and my opinions do not matter:
thus let me state-I try to keep my peace : I do know better !

January 2012

EVENING MEAL AND GOOD NIGHT ! ( Part IV)

At 6 Pm sharp ( I do not know why,but I have a strict schedule) the evening meal is prepared.
It very seldom varies.This precludes a lot of thinking and choosing and I like what is on the
menu !
To wit : a piece of white toast,slightly crusted. A slice of Swiss cheese,my favorite,out of the
fridge and two thinly sliced pieces of roasted turkey breast follow that. I just love that turkey !
All this is put together to produce a very fine sandwich. A container of cole slaw,again a
favorite vegetable of mine, graces the kitchen table. Dessert consists of a dish of some kind
of pudding-rice or tapioca-, two fine cookies ( sent for Xmas by my dear kids) and there you
have my most satisfying supper. Since i am awake so often during the night, shedding
liquid ( how politely put) I do not drink anything with my supper and do not miss it and the
doc said it was o.k.

After the dishes are cleaned and put away close to 7 PM ,the soft armchair beckons and
TV time begins for the day.I am devoted to two quiz shows " Jeopardy" and : "The wheel of
fortune" from 7 t0 8 PM and I love it when i can answer a question. But this is not often
because they ask for names and dates about people unknown to me.Yet I am still
learning things and it is fun. Very often in the following hour they are showing another
favorite of mine " the Antique Roadshow" and I just love to watch the items people
bring,but there is very little I could show. With the baseball season still far away,because
there is no other sport I am interested in,out of despair I sometimes succumb to a
basketball game and that is that !

By 9:30 PM my soft bed awaits me and I either read one of my "crimis"-a few pages-
or work on a crossword puzzle. O f course, my weekly two poker games(and another
every other week) are my favorite evening entertainment from 6-9 Pm.
Let me state that otherwise I do not like to go out at night anymore and so " GOOD
NIGHT TO ALL !

January 2012

ANOTHER YEAR - 2012

Quietly it sneaked in-not one firecracker or glass of champagne in sight,
as usual for Leisure World-it was just another humdrum,silent night.
Of course they had parties and dances- but that was not for little me:
at ninety-nine one wants to ignore "Time" as you can readily see.

Yet, truly there is no cause to complain: aren't I the luckiest kind of man:
to still think straight, be able to walk and to be a true baseball fan .
To wake up each morning one day older and admire the California sun,
not to have to go to work- to be able to go back to bed is such fun !

Truly, I do not know how I deserve such late days of quiet pleasure,
when each moment of breathing is such joy and a huge treasure
New calendars I received ,almost a dozen, to keep track of each new day,
that I am so blessed is a Godsend- what more can I happily say.

To know that my dear kids will soon come to visit -my greatest joy,
what other great thoughts can top them for this so very ancient boy ?
No matter what the future brings- I had a full measure of fine living:
another year to confidently face-may it be one of getting and giving !

January 2012

PLACES I LIVED IN !

Let me assume that I was born in a hospital in my hometown Nuremberg, Germany. I have a hunch that it was called the "Martha Maria" because that is the place where where,later on,I had my appendix removed. I know that we at that time lived in a rented apartment in the middle of town on a street called Faerberstrasse (Dyer's street)and while I passed it here and then I never went into the house.The whole building was torn down and became an office building not much later. The first place to spend my youth was also an appartment on the outskirts of our town and I remember it well. It was a four story building on a It was on a street called Rankestrasse 38. My dictionary says "ranke is a tendril" but it could well be the name of a person. It was near the last streetcar stop of that line,called "Luitpoldhain" and I have no idea who Luitpold was,but it sounds like a nobleman's name. The house was well kept, but not new and one of the renters was a family whose son,although much older than I,got me my first job in an export firm. Another resident was the uncle of my best male friend by the name of "Lebeau" evidently of French extraction. They were very nice people and the parents of two daughters, Erika and Trude. Erika was my sister's best friend (she later married an Hungarian artist)and therefore, like Alice, nine years older than I-but Trude was closer to my age.I do recall that the latter often served me something to drink in our backyard in a toy-china set and we liked each other(and much later visited with her in Germany).Through them I got friendly with Kurt Lebeau,their cousin who was my age.His younger brother was also an Otto and they both perished in WW II. We spent many years together as well with a boy who lived next door to us and had a fabulous tin-soldier collection. I do not knoq how long we lived on Rankestrasse but my dear father bought a beautiful four story house very close by. The name of the street was Guntherstrasse 61-Gunther being a an old first German name.It was on a corner and in the back we had a huge garden where I smoked my first cigarette on the sly. There was no house in front of it, it faced the street with a big,high fence. We had a steady gardener taking care and growing veggies. He loved to drink vinegar. On the other side next door to us lived a family whose son was also our age and he had a fantastic toy soldier collection for us to play with-but we were not close.This is where I was able to spend my first dozen years or so and I fondly remember a large balcony with a fold-up table. I could walk to my first school and then my bicycle took me for a half hour ride to my "Gymnasium " for six years. It certainly was a home I fondly remember until my dear "Pappa" lost all his money with the motorcycles and had to sell our fine house. We then were forced to move to another apartment in town,just the three of us-brother and sister were gone. This was on "Fuertherstrasse 19,it led to the next little town called Fuerth,reachable by streetcar. (It became an infamous street, five minutes away was the courthouse were the Nazis were tried.) It was a good move because my place of work was very close by.My dear father then worked in my uncle's office of the paper factory my father started and then sold to them.We had a nice place to live,the only drawback that above us lived the son of a family who sported a swastika armband,but he never molested us. This was my last place to live in Germany and I can truthfully state that I had a blessed youth in great places ! 10/5/11

T H E H E L P E R

When you, after a good, long life, advance in years- there is a need
for someone to be of help,to be of assistance, yes indeed !
The good old car idles in the garage-you need a shopper by your side,
if you can find someone close by to help-you shall be alright.

Thus I am blessed to have a good neighbor who is my true aide,
a fine lady called GAIL takes care of me ,that is so great !
All I have to do is draw up a list of vittles to keep me fed,
there has never been a day when I went hungry, you can bet.

To the doctor she takes me,the barbershop is on her list,
in a fine red car I am taken, no appointment is ever missed.
My hearing is lousy, the telephone is hard to understand,
I have to rely on my computer-for a needed call, she is on hand.

To get along by yourself is not easy: on good people you must rely,
this so nice lady is the reason that so easily I can get by.
Most grateful am I to spend my old days without much worry-
my kids being far away,there is no reason to often feel sorry !

9/12/11

DOCTORS

Never did I want to be a participant in this so noble profession !
But, then again, without one of them I would not make this confession:
as a young child I was exposed to an appendix who misbehaved,
I shall never forget a "hunchback"physician who my life surely saved.

When we are born,now in most cases,a medical man is much involved-
the old fashioned midwife is history,this necessity is now resolved.
And so life starts after being exposed to someone with medical knowledge,
one who is now able to prove that he paid good attention in college.

Yet, the good old family doctor, who came to the house, is a thing of the past,
now there is a need for specialists and this way the die is often cast.
They make it a practice to study some part of the human anatomy-
which leads them to treat a special ailment, perhaps a lobotomy.

There is no one who has not needed such a healer to regain health
that we are blessed with these fine people shows much great wealth.
Yes, they will see you, perhaps after you have gone through some wait-
but, let us face it,their good service does carry ever so much weight !

9/26/11

The Cook

When I was little, my family had a cook for us to feed.
My mother was not good at this,so there was a true need.
As was the custom in Germany,the big meal was taken at noon,
whereas in the evening we had cocoa,cake and a friendly moon.

Well do I remember the female supplier of daily condiments,
she was a spinster with a dog,her meals deserved many compliments.
Daily she consulted with the lady of the house to know what to cook,
and she set out with her doggie who for company she took.

Her own room she occupied in our big house as I now recall,
her stature as purveyor of daily food was ever so tall.
ELSIE was her name and her good companion was called MAX,
he had the run of the place,but in the kitchen he very often did relax.

Never shall I forget, those two took me to the nearby train station
when I was ready to go overseas to explore a foreign nation.
As it happened, I did not return to renew our so pleasant amity :
but it is good to know that both of us survived the impending calamity !

First let me state that I am so blessed to still be able to think straight and write this account of my waning days. Secondly- the fact that I am able to manage and to maintain myself without daily help in my great two-room apartment which I am able to maintain without daily help. While I do not have any close friends anymore with whom I could get together,there is nor regret on my part. Let me start with the routine of my so non-productive existence. Yet , I do not feel lonely or abandoned and I regularly start my days at 7 AM and I try out my two feet to find out if they still will get me where I want to go. and this very fact is on my mind. Yet so far they always get me to the front door where my daily newspaper has arrived and is waiting for me. Now-there is a funny routine involved: first the multiple ad sections are put aside. the two sections covering the world's and California events on the front page only are studied and then put aside to be read at lunch. A funny quirk,but excusable. At this point I want to state that neither radio or television news shall mar my mornings and are kept quiet. Back to breakfast: The daily nourishment at this time never falters ! First at hand is a chewable low dose aspirin. Then a child's vitamin that looks like a small animal and tastes good. This followed by a tablet of "soy"-too big to be swallowed and therefore ground up and then put on the bottom of my cereal dish. A big strawberry is then cut up and followed by a handful of blueberries. Over that a good dose of cereal,mostly Cornflakes or " honeybunches of oats" but no sugar. Then a good dose of regular milk and breakfast is ready as "part one". All this is accompanied by solving the daily picture puzzle which, I am proud to state,I am able to solve. By that time I am ready for part II (what a breakfast ). A roll is heated up in the microwave and then transferred to the toaster. A cup is filled with three teaspoons of my so beloved "Chocolate Ovaltine-made in Switzerland and given to me when I was a little kid". The roll is then broken into pieces, cream cheese and jam applied and a hearty breakfast is enjoyed while I peruse the entertainment section of the LA Times and,of course,the Comics !The dishes are then washed and stacked and the bathroom visited. I am so blessed that I am "regular " still ! Then comes the best part of the morning - a return to bed ! From Monday to Wednesday A.M. I am pleased to solve the daily crossword puzzle.Thursday to Saturday this not ever attempted there are too many names of people and movies I never heard of ! Sunday used to be the best puzzle day, but my two most favorite puzzle makers passed away last year( I was in correspondence with one of them) and the new guy is very difficult and I manage only about 3/4 and proud of that. By the way : I am so delighted with my "electric" bed, the best thing I ever bought, I can sit up in it and have support for my back-let me recommend it to everyone ! To be continued

THE ROUTINE OF 99 YEAR OLD WIDOWER

Thought it would be a good idea to trace my daily existence at this advanced age , while I can do so. Let me begin at 7 AM which without fail is the time when I leave my cozy bed to open the door and to pick up the daily newspaper on my porch. Now arrives the time to prepare what for me is the best meal of the day,called Breakfast. This ritual begins with the taking of my two daily pills: 81 mg of aspirin and one sugarfree childrens' chewable vitamin.,both approved by my so nice primary doctor. Aren't I blessed not to need any other kind of medicine ! Then comes the breakfast which rarely varies. First, a big bowl of "honeybunches of oats",then one huge soy pill (too big to swallow)mashed up in a gadget I have had for years. 2/3 of a banana sliced (the other third is for lunch), a spoonful of blueberries and a large strawberry cut up and added to the mix.All this is followed by a good dose of a vitamin D, with milk-and,voila, there is the first half of my early meal ! it is regularly followed by a toasted,small breakfast roll,laced with cream cheese and orange or strawberry marmalade.The highpoint of this so delicious feast is a big cup of my beloved Ovaltine,made in Switzerland and offered to me as a child in Germany. Am I not blessed to start the day this way !. While partaking of this so great meal the brain is also pleasantly engaged,. Only the headlines are read in the news section,the rest is left for lunch.However, the breakfast would not be complete without my solving the daily picture puzzle which I usually can solve-practice makes perfect ! Then the daily crossword puzzle accompanies me back to my so cozy bed. before this,however at 8 AM sharp I phone my so helpful next door neighbor to establish that we are both still among the living.Until Thursday I am usually able to solve the puzzle but then there are too many names involved of people I never heard of. Most of the mornings I do not have any appointments,except every other Saturday to work at 9:30 at the Friends of the Library-which I love to do.Thus, this free time is filled with thinking up poetry or stories which will take up the time until my daily half hour morning walk,either inside or out. This precedes my lunch at usually 1:30 PM. Mostly I open a can of the many foods thus available- of which I like noodle soup the best, followed by Jello and cookies. No fuss, no muss,no big clean-up. Now I must mention the school which I brought to LW and there are 8 weeks of,once a week,classes of 1 1/2 hour each,one at 10 AM and one at 2:30PM.I just love to attend and to meet nice people. Usually my afternoons are spent at the wonderful computer-typing up whatever I thought up in the morning. Again one half hour is spent walking and another half hour visiting my neighbor.Luckily the neighbor lady next to her now is my purchasing agent for food since I stopped driving and it works well. By then 5 PM arrives with the mail and the crossword puzzle book is at hand for an hour of brain teasing until 6PM dinner time.There is little variety at this repast but I like it that way : a toasted turkey sandwich,coleslaw and pudding present another satisfactory meal without great effort. Since I do not hear too well there is no TV during the day at all,but at 7PM my two favorites are on : Jepardy and the wheel. 2 1/2 times a week I am out pokering and I love that, win or lose. Usually I am in bed by 9PM.I do not like to go out at night,except for cards. After reading a few pages of a good book,it is lights out about 9:30 and a nightly wake-up about four times for performing into a bottle at bed. Now,let it be stated that I do not feel lonesome and times passes well, may it continue thus ! Otto Ros November 2011

T H O U G H T S A B O U T A D E N T AL OPERATION

It is awaiting the morrow. There is no hint of fear or depressing thoughts. A good man has determined that it best be done- and so be it ! Many years ago I wrote a poem about dentists and, since I was told that I had seen the man I shall meet again to-morrow nine years ago, there is no reason to believe that I showed it to him then-and if I did he certainly would not remember. Thus I have resurrected this item and shall present it to him at that time. "It can't hurt". While this particular spot, which is toothless, has not hurt lately-here is definitely a sore caused by loose portions of dental matter. If two medical men are of the opinion that I am not too old for what is involved, so be it. I have been most fortunate to have the assistance of my good neighbor lady,both with driving and somebody to lean on. I feel confident that all will be going well. I did ask my wonderful regular dentist, whom I really like (how can you like a dentist ?) and trust whether he could not perform this repair but he told me that a dental surgeon was necessary. Of course I have not the slightest idea,after such a long time, who this repairman will be. I have unearthed a poem about dentists and I shall present it to him to create good feelings. The instructions call for an eight hour of fasting before which I shall extend to eighteen,not having food or drink after 6:30 PM until the 11 AM appointment. i have never, to my knowledge,been really hungry in my long life and am blessed to make such a statement.The only drawback is the timing. It being the holiday season, I will have to forego a Christmas Party of my Writer's Club,however one has to sacrifice pleasure for the sake of one's health and, thank the Lord,it could be something worse. Yes, i really feel blessed that at my age such a procedure is possible and, as I said before,they would not go ahead if there were a problem. I am writing all this to convince myself that I am in good hands and there is nothing to be afraid of !

L Y I N G D O W N

t is a fact I greatly deplore: I spend more time lying down than upright !
It is a sign of advancing age of what should be done mostly at night.
However,the couch beckons and it is so soft and ever so inviting,
unfortunately the daily routine is definitely dull and not very exciting.

It is winter, the air is cold outside and my house is warm and pleasant
a perfect place to hug the pillow and think of a choice Christmas present.
There are books to read and puzzles to solve,or maybe just a snooze-
the beauty of it is -you rest your old body and surely have nothing to lose.

Horizontally you can consider what spots there may be on the ceiling-
or if you please,you might find writing a poem ever so appealing.
It is just amazing what funny thoughts come into your so idle mind :
going back yo your long life,many old memories you are likely to find.

While the shadows lengthen outside you think what food might appeal,
one of the most important decisions: what to have for the evening meal.
Regretfully you have to give up your prone position-but such is life :
you have to shift for yourself-there is just no cook or caring wife !

MEMOIRS OF A 'SHOE DOG "

Yes, that is what they were called in the old days,although the dictionary does not contain such a word. However, there is no question that I was such a person for about forty four wonderful years My dear Father- in law was such a person even though, when I met him he was running a knitting machine- but I forgot what he was knitting so long ago. He evidently harbored a hidden desire for the shoe trade and had worked in a shoe store in his youth. I was a traveling salesman for ladies' underwear at the time of my marriage and shoes were just something I wore. "Morris" and my wonderful mother-in law "Rose" were visiting their doctor son in Los Angeles. One day he took them for a ride to Long Beach. I never found out why in particular, and they came to a beach area called " Belmont Shore". Traveling the main street ,lined with stores, they came upon a shoe store which had a sign " For Sale". It turns out the owner of this place had started this establishment just a year before with the idea of making enough money to join his relatives in a fine furniture store. Somehow, Morris was able to come to terms and purchased the place. After the accomplished fact he called my wife and myself to propose that we join him in this venture. Lately I had been very angry at my boss who had been a good friend of mine for many years. His uncle was the owner of the factory I traveled for and " Mike" had inherited the business ( he came from the same town in Germany as I and was about my age) when "Uncle Herman" passed away.All went well for awhile but then "Mike" felt I was making too much money and cut my territory. This was the time when the call came from California and it took my dear Belle and myself about 2 minutes to agree to this fine offer to go from underwear to shoes. Right here let it be known that, before the call, I had spent two years in the US Army in sunny Burbank,a suburb of Los Angeles and had fallen in love with the sunshine. There were no openings after my return from Okinawa ,Japan, a year later and I had to return to my old job reluctantly. Thus this offer was a gift from heaven. We sold our house quickly and I packed up my car and Belle and our one year old pride and joy,daughter Diane took the plane to Los Angeles,whereas I drove a day and a half to Long Beach in my trusty Plymouth. We rented an apartment,after being turned down by a lady who had such a place for rent-because we were Jewish ! That is the only incident of this kind that I can remember during all my life in our town. To be continued

Details

Shoe dog continued

The first habitat in California was in Long Beach near a traffic circle.A road I hated to take
because it was much traveled and the circle was not easy to navigate. We soon found a place in our
beloved Belmont Shore and within walking distance from the store. I cannot recall any neighbors there
specifically, but it was our abode for a few years.
Back to selling shoes ! The former owner had stocked it with well known brands, such as FLORSHEIM
for men, VITALITY for the ladies and RED GOOSE for the kids.Fortunately it did not take me long to
learn " the tricks of the trade" and my dear Mother-in law was both a super sales woman to learn from
and a good judge of brands we later changed to. A vivid memory of that time brigs forth our " X-ray
Machine" where the customers stuck their feet in this gadget to ascertain the proper size. Not soon
after my appearance however,this machine was banned by the authorities because the customers went
from store to store and exposed their feet to an overdose of X-rays which was dangerous. thus we had to
rely on a small metal platform which you held under the customers foot and adjusted a lever or pushed a slide
to ascertain the proper size.Of course personal knowledge was a big factor,as well as peeking inside the
shoes the customer wore and read the size. The important thing was to read the customer's mind and to
produce the right pair. It was not long before I caught on and I prided myself on the fact that, to my knowledge,
nobody got corns from my selections, although some of the ladies were" numbers" conscious and insisted
on squeezing their tootsies in too small a size.
My dear daughter reminded me of two instances I had forgotten. A young ,pretty, lady customer who had
an over sized bust and very small feet,bent down in front of me,sitting on my fitting stool,thus these huge
globes practically hung in my face.Another time a male customer came in with two left shoes in the box
and, unforgettably, two male customers came in together,tried on a raft of expensive pairs and then rushed out
of the store with costly Florsheim shoes on their feet and ran away.Fortunately an isolated incident.
As a whole we were blessed with a wonderful clientele in a great neighborhood and very soon I was able to
become a full partner. This led to the buy of our first house, again about 15 minuted driving time from the
store. It was located in a brand new,middle class neighborhood,called "Lakewood Plaza". While it was still
being built,we had a big rainstorm. The windows were not in yet,the wooden floors buckled and had to
be replaced. After that there was a big oil fire in a neighborhood,called Signal Hill, and black clouds of
oil ruined the outside of our houses and had to be repainted.

More to come

The Store - Alan's Shoes

More about the store. In the very beginning of our venture we had only one competitor who specialized in high priced ladies shoes. The store was run by a couple and ,especially,the lady co-owner for some reason liked me and, when I was near their place, I visited and we schmoozed. Her husband was a ladies' man and I was told that he loved to fondle the female customers feet. The store is still there and run mostly by their daughter. Somewhat later,near their store, on a corner,a children shoe store opened and was a competitor. I do not recall if that was the reason why we quit carrying children shoes,but we did so at some time. Another competitor opened in the next block from us.Not a nice guy and we were told that he said he would put us out of business-however he only lasted a year. Back to Alan's : Again my Dena reminded me that, in the beginning ,we mostly catered to the children. We gave away live little turtles,toys,pencils and, the highpoint of the give-away was a boy's bicycle. We got an article in the Shore newspaper with his picture and I still have it in one of my albums. During my year as Business Association President something happened that could have had serious consequences ! Someone ,not me, had the crazy idea of putting a wrecked automobile on the corner of our block-which was empty- and sell chances to hit the wreck with a hammer for a price which eludes me. There were a lot of people taking up this offer, I think it was a Sunday, and all went well until a boy of about 15 hit a window and a piece of glass lodged near his brow. I had to rush him to Emergency in my car,but, fortunately,it was superficial and of no consequence. It would have cost the Association a fortune, had his parents sued. I was the Secretary of this group for many years and thus knew most of the business owners on the Street. One of them was our neighbor across from our house who had a fine ladies wear store on 2d street and the rumor was widely spread that he had buried gold coins in his backyard. He was not well liked,but his wife "Greta"( the name of the store) was loved by everyone,she was a fine lady. We ,much later, visited her in her home in Palm Springs,but she was ailing. Your dear mother,the love of my life,never did like to sell shoes,however,she was very good at the cash register although she did not visit the store very often. Once things were going well,she devoted much of her time to Jewish Women organizations,primarily she worked for an outfit called "Ort" and had many leading roles in it. She was very often occupied in ferrying members to and from meetings although she did not like to drive very much. Of course most of her time then was devoted to you, our wonderful daughter, and your schooling. to be continued

ODDS AND ENDS TO CLOSE THE ALAN"S STORY

An important part of any success in the store is the help. When I arrived on the scene there were the in-laws and an older gentleman who very often disappeared in the stockroom in the back behind a separating wall and " took to the bottle", he did not last long . He was followed by a younger man who was an excellent shoe salesman and stayed with us for quite some time. When Dena arrived and converted from shoes to a boutique, there was a succession of young girls. Some good, some not so reliable and, of course, my role in selling diminished. There is one episode that stays in my memory: next to us there was a paint store. There were three stores in the block at that time with an open space at the opposite end from us. The paint store moved to the corner and for some time there was an empty space between us(later occupied by the post office). I do not recall whose idea it was,but we decided to use the empty store for a sale of ladies shoes. it was a cement floor and we displayed rows of boxes of shoes which were poor sellers on the bare floor and we got rid of a lot of stuff. When Dena and Dan decided to move to Santa Fe and open a boutique there, the time had come to quit and ,at 80 years of age,Alan's sold out. We had a big advertised Sale in the paper and, while prices were marked down somewhat,but still above cost,we were able to dispose of a lot of merchandise, (with people waiting around the block) and the balance went to the Forty Thieves who specialized in close-outs. Needless to state-if Dena would have stayed, I probably would still be there ! Certainly I enjoyed the forty-plus years in this profitable undertaking. It proved that I was at he right place at he right time and I feel that i have led a blessed life in something that started so grim !

I N V E N T O R Y 2011

Once again the time has come to take inventory of your past days.
What happened in the now gone year-a major or minor role surely plays.
If there were no great upsets you can look back with pride and joy-
hopefully the mistakes you made :admit them freely, don't be coy !

It is human nature to err on the beaten path and perhaps go astray-
you can be boastful if you overcame obstacles that barred your way.
Always there are hurdles to overcome,to master them is not too easy-
should you do the best you can and fail, it might leave you queezy.

Just hope springs eternal and expect the best for the years to come
the past may have taught you to avoid mistakes, but there will be some.
When you take inventory and prove to yourself-you did the best you could,
there is no reason why the future should not bring much good.

To admit past mistakes is the best way not to let them happen again,
staying off the beaten path is second nature to all mice and men.
To be optimistic is a sure way to overcome sorrow and fear,
what will happen, will happen that is man's destiny and ever so clear !

Night and Day at 99, parts 1 and 2

A N I G HT AND A DAY AT 99 First of all, let me praise the Almighty that he has seen fit to enable me to write about my life at this stage. To be able to still think clearly and to put words on paper is indeed a miracle. Let me start with the evening before the upcoming next day : With the exception of my poker nights- two weekly and one every other week, I am in bed by right after a nine o'clock program on TV which varies. There is no such entertainment watched during the day, especially no news. I want to sleep peacefully ! Just Jepardy and the Wheel. Promptly at 8 PM I hasten to the telephone to exchange good news with my dear kids in Santa Fe. Now I am in my so comfortable bed which ,years ago, was the best purchase I ever have made. The head position is electrically raised and an easy to read pocketbook about crimes committed and the felons brought to justice, will usually fill the half hour before lights out. My nightly sleep is often interrupted about four times a night-I have a bottle on hand for the necessary purpose of dispensing liquid only. Blessedly I then fall asleep again and I have to report that dreams are frequent but not frightening, a lot of them having to do- you guessed it,with footwear. With peculiar regularity I wake about one hour before my rising at 7 AM. Time to put on some heat-I get cold easily- and retrieve the daily paper from the front porch- always on time ! So, the day begins and the best meal of the day is being prepared by me . Who else ? First things first : an aspirin pill and a vitamin pill. Ain't I lucky to have such a great doctor who does not believe in a lot of medicine ! A dish of cornflakes joins my daily banana(except a piece saved for lunch) sliced into the dish and enhanced by sliced fresh strawberries, a jolt of blueberries, a good dose of regular milk-and there is just half of my best meal of the day. This to be followed religiously by a cup of my so beloved Ovaltine with chocolate in it, for which I blame my longevity. Then a roll heated, laced with cream cheese and jam: what more can a man ask for ? To be continued Night and Day at 99 Part II Then, in my humble opinion, comes the best part of the new day. With the exception of Saturday when I work in the "friends of the Library" in the morning,my good bed once again awaits my presence.From 8- 10 AM it will keep me warm in winter and, with my back in an upright position, I do the daily crossword puzzle from Sunday to Wednesday. For the next three days the puzzles get too difficult,laced with people and things I never heard of. Therefore these two hours are spent with reading and snoozing. At 10 AM the time has come to begin the day for real ! After a nice warm shower and shave, the hair comes next and that is the only part of my body that I can be proud of. The silvery top is treated with a so-called "Pomade" and carefully parted to present a crowning cover to my head.The rest of the face is marred by ugly growths under my eyes which I had removed once. But they came back and a doctor I consulted about a repeat removal told me to leave it alone. Since I do not contemplate to enter any beauty contests-so be it ! Now comes the time to get dressed for the day which,unfortunately, does not call for much activity. yet I am blessed to look forward to my two half hour walks daily,either in the house or outside and so far I have been able to follow this healthy regime pleasantly although somewhat slower than before. By then it is usually midday and time to contemplate lunch at 12:30 PM.My good neighbor, for a reasonable fee, has gone shopping for me ever since I quit driving a few months ago. She is presented with a shopping list about every three days and fills my orders perfectly. Thus-and I want to mention this-I am happy to be able to report that i have not missed my now 20 year old Swedish Volvo which snoozes in my garage awaiting use by my dear kids on their visit.However, by request, it is fired up each Tuesday for seven minutes to keep it running when needed. It gets a "swipe" once in a while to keep it presentable and still looks good. It is the best car I have ever owned and is up to about one hundred thousand miles now. Since I can walk to the clubhouse where I "gamble" or take lectures I am happy to say that I do not miss my trusty steed. My good neighbor takes me to the doctor appointments or haircuts, so all is well in Leisure World in that respect. To be continued